THE 


HONEST 
HOUSE 


RUBY'  ROSS '  GOODNOW 
RAY  NE' ADAMS 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  L3S  ANQBLES 

LIBRARY  OF  ARCHREOTUaE 
AND  ALLIED  ARTS 


Charles  Henry  Cheney 

ARCHITECT 
CR9QKER   BLOC.  SAN  FRANCISCO 


k 


THE   HONEST   HOUSE 


tLi.KN    IKKKVS  CMilAt.l-:.  KK.\1,   h.NllI.ANK 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


PRESENTING  EXAMPLES  OF  THE  USUAL  PROBLEMS 
WHICH  FACE  THE  HOME-BUILDER  TOGETHER  WITH 
AN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  SIMPLE  ARCHITECTURAL 
PRINCIPLES  WHICH  UNDERLIE  THEM:  ARRANGED  ES- 
PECIALLY   IN  REFERENCE  TO  SMALL  HOUSE  DESIGN 


BY 


RUBY   ROSS   GOODNOW 

IN  COLLABORATION   WITH 

RAYNE    ADAMS 

INTRODUCTION   15Y   FREDERICK:  L.  ACKERMAN,   A.  I.  A. 


t«    >,Jtffy»\ 


PUBLISHED    BY  THE   CENTURY   CO. 

NEW    ^()RK:  __._-----  MCMXIV 


Copyright   I914,  by 
The  Centuky  Co. 

Published,  October,  IQ/4 


Mrttw  lit— B 


ACKNOWLEDG  M  EXT 

To  our  friends,  who  have  given  us  so 
freely  ot  their  encouragement  and  enthusi- 
asm in  the  making  of  this  book,  we  wish  to 
give  our  thanks. 

We  are  especially  indebted  to  Frederick 
L.  Ackerman,  Richard  Derby,  Thomas  Rob- 
inson, Robert  R.  McGcxxhvin.  and  \\'illiam 
Roger  Greeley  tor  their  co-operation  in  the 
planning  of  the  book;  to  Alice  Bough  ton, 
Edmund  B.  Gilchrist,  Lillian  Baynes  Grif- 
fin, and  Frank  Cousins  tor  photographs;  and 
to  Frances  Delehanty,  Howard  Greenley, 
John  D.  Moore,  Franklin  P.  Hammond, 
Henry  B.  Guillan,  Bernhardt  E.  Mullet, 
Jules  Gingras,  Henry  Hentlcrson  and  Gerald 
\\'right  tor  many  drawings  and  cha[)ter 
headings. 

Ruby   Ross   Goodnow 
Rayne  Adams. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTIR  PAGE 

I      THE  Ol  EST  OV  THE  IDEAL  IIOISE 3 

II     THE    \.\ME    or    THE    ARCHITECT .       7 

111  AMEURAN    HOISES    AM)     IHEIH    ElKOrEAN   PROTOTYPES         ...      15 

n       THE    PRAC  riCAL    PROBLEM    OP    HOISE    Bl  ILDINC. 23 

\  IHE    \EXAT10LS   MA  1  I ERS   OP   PROPORTION   AND    BALANCE     ...     33 

\  I      LHE    rSEFlL    AND    THE    BEAUTIFUL 41 

\ii    riiL  ExroruACE  op  phe  country  house 47 

AHI     CONCERNINC.    COLOR ^-^ 

IX      THE    NLVTERIALS 67 

X     WALLS  AND   THEIR  OPENINGS 83 

XI     HIE   CONSIDERA  I  ION    oL    IHE    ROOP 97 

XII      DEI  All  s  op  SMALL  IIOlsE  1)P.SI(;N 107 

Xlll       IIIL  I  nl  I   \I\    \\|)  II  s  (  ORMCI". ,      .115 

XI\      Tin;   li.LAM  \\\.  op   POIUIILS 121 

x\      Till    PI  \N   \KR  \n(,i:mi:\  L  .     .  .29 

X\  I     (.ODD    I  AslE  AND  COMMON  SENSE 141 

X\  II      rilL  MIPLL  op   Mil    IIOISE 147 

X\in     A  PLE.\  lOK    I  111,  111, AK  I  II .      ,      .    1,-9 


TAHI.i:  Ol    eOMKMS 

CIIAI'TKR  '''^GE 

\1\     I)F.TAII.S  OF  INTERIOK   DESIGN 165 

w    rm:  ikadition  oi  wood  rAXKi.ixc; 173 

\\i     I  iir.  DrcoHATioN  or  wam.s 179 

XXII    nil.  iu(;iiT  I  sp:  of  cirtains 189 

xxiii    BKFOHi:  vor  Biv  vori\  n  kmukf, 197 

XXI\      A  LIST  OF  USEFUL  BOOKS 203 


INTRODUCTION 


There  are  few  things  which  concern  us  more  intimately  than  the  houses 
in  which  we  live;  fewer  still  are  the  things  in  which  we  take  a  greater  in- 
terest than  the  homes  which  we  individually  own.  The  actual  size  of  the 
house  does  not  so  much  matter,  and  we  ma)'  even  venture  the  statement  that 
the  degree  of  interest  which  an  owner  takes  in  his  home  is  in  something  like  an  in- 
verse ratio  to  its  size. 

It  is  difficult  indeed  tor  us  to  create  a  house  which  is  expressive  of  the  owner, 
and  at  the  same  time  consistent  in  all  of  its  parts,  true  to  a  chosen  stvle  or 
character,  and  containing  throughout  the  elements  of  good  design,  for  the  sim- 
ple reason  that  we  are  still  young  as  a  people,  our  social  traditions  are  not  so  well 
established  as  to  indicate  clearly  what  is  to  be  our  tuture,  and  in  consequence, 
what  will  be  the  character  of  the  homes  which  will  result. 

In  our  larger  houses  we  are  very  likely  to  draw  our  inspiration  from  widely- 
separate  and  distant  fields,  and  we  bring  into  them  the  accumulated  art  of  the 
centuries  past,  and  ot  the  whole  world.  So  it  is  no  woncier  that  in  these 
hustling  times,  when  our  cia\s  arc  filled  with  a  iiiultirmlc  ot  interests,  that  we 
sometimes  feel  that  we  are  strangers  in  our  own  homes.  Then  tew,  a  spirit 
ot  pride  and  emulation  is  often  wrought  into  the  building  of  our  larger  houses, 
and  often  this  motive,  working  unconsciously  in  the  minds  of  both  the  owner 
antl  rhe  architect,  acts  as  a  Chinese  Wall,  separating  us  troni  our  ideals  and 
the  things  which   we   actually   accomplish. 

It  is  likewise  true  that  similar  motives  influenc<'  those  of  us  who  buikl  small 
houses,  but  fortunately  it  is  not  true  to  the  same  extent.     \N'e  lack  the  wealth 


IM  KODl  C HON 

of  rcsourcr  from  which  ic  ilraw  :  we  ilo  not  possess  the  pecuniary  means.  The 
materials  from  which  our  houses  arc  to  be  executed  must  be  found  close  at 
hand,  and  they  must  be  inexpensive.  These  influences,  together  with  a  niultirude 
of  others  of  a  similar  nature,  teml  toward  the  development  of  the  smalli  r  house 
aionj;  more  intimate  and  more  interesting:  lines.  They  tend  towanl  rlu-  creation 
of  a  type,  something:  more  accurately  expressive  of  our  life  ami  time,  sonictliinj; 
more  inilifienous  to  our  society. 

In  our  .American  homes,  j>articularl\  the  smaller  oneSj  we  find  that 
which  we  have  characterized  as  a  typical  architectural  expression  ot  our  day 
and  peojile.  In  ftuM-  homes  we  find  an  extremely  wide  range  of  expression. 
They  are  infinite  in  variety,  as  regards  form  or  mass,  st)le  or  character,  and 
in  the  materials  used.  Among  them  we  find  a  few  really  interesting  and  fine 
examples,  but  in  the  main,  the  small  houses  ot  our  suburban  and  rural  coniniu- 
nities,  scattered  the  length  anil  the  lircadrh  ot  our  country,  are  ugly;  nianx 
of  them  are  inexpressively  ugly,  and  yet  notwithstanding  this  fact,  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  recogni'/e  them  as  our  own.  antl  strange  as  it  ma}-  seem,  we  take 
a  justifiable  pride  in  them. 

How  can  we  explain  this  seeming  paradox^that  we  have  a  vast  number  of 
ugly  houses  of  whiih  we  are  jiroutl.  which  we  take  so  seriousl\.  ami  tliar  we  con- 
sider them  one  of  the  few  characteristics  and  architectural  exj)ressions  of  our  jko- 
ple'^  It  is  pertinent  to  ask:  What  is  the  underlying  reason  for  our  so  generally 
accepting  or  assuming  such  an  attitude? 

There  is  no  more  accurate  chronicle  of  a  people  than  the  buildings  which 
they  erect.  Seen  in  jierspective,  they  help  to  explain  the  nature  of  a  people's 
religion  and  philoso|)hy,  and  their  social,  moral,  and  political  ideals  as  well. 
We  can  deduce  from  them  their  intimate  thoughts  and  desires. 

W<'  have  been  a  busy  ])eople. — conquering  all  sorts  of  physical  conditions,  en- 
deavoring to  solve  an  entlless  number  ot  political,  social,  and  moral  i>r()hlcms, — 
antl  we  have  not  given  serious  thought  to  the  building  of  our  houses.  In  the 
architecture  of  our  day  we  have  only  sketched  in,  as  it  were,  the  many  ideas 
which  form  the  basis  of  our  lives.  As  yet  the  forms  are  crude;  we  have  not  ar- 
rived at  that  point  in  the  development  of  an  architectural  style  or  expression 
where  it  is  possible  for  us  to  say  clearly  that  this  is  true  and  that  is  false.  In 
other  words,   we  cannot  distinguish   the  masks  from  the  faces. 

Let  us,  however,  return  to  the  reasons  for  our  assumed  pritle  in  our  houses.  We 
can  surely  say  that  it  is  not  their  general  appearance,  taken  as  a  whole,  which 
justifies  that  pride.  The  last  generation  or  so  has  certainly  not  built  fine 
houses,  when  we  compare  them  with  earlier  American  examples.     The  fine  work 


INTRODUCTION 

ot  the  colonial  builders  has  been  replaced  by  a  crude  effort  of  the  recent  con- 
tractor. The  fine  old  farm  houses  of  two  generations  a^o  have  been  replaced 
b_\  the  niotlc}  colored  tornis  ot  ro-da_\-.  \\'e  ha\e  not  much  imiirovcd  their  plan 
arrangement  nor  have  we  made  tliem  better  adapted  to  their  use.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  recent  tendency  towards  simplification,  our  small  houses  for  a  long  time 
have  been  growing  more  complex;  simple  roof  lines  have  been  replaced  by 
forms  resembling  the  clocks  of  the  Black  Forest.  Little  attention  has  been 
paid  to  the  general  mass  ot  the  buildings,  antl  we  have  substituted,  in  our  en- 
deavor to  improve  upon  the  old  forms,  an  endless  number  ot  superficial  and 
unnecessary  elements,  in  the  main  of  exceedingly  bad  taste,  such  as  is  illus- 
trated in  the  product  of  the  jig  saw  and  the  turning  lathes. 

The  reason  tor  our  satisfaction  must  be  sought  below  the  surface,  for  it  is 
surel\-  not  in  the  external  appearance  that  we  find  sufficient  evidence  or  a  suf- 
ficienth'  gootl  reason.  There  is  something  expressed  in  the  pLms  of  the  houses 
themselves,  in  the  very  arrangement  of  the  plots  of  land  upon  which  they 
stand,  which  differentiates  them  from  similar  houses  of  Europe.  They  do  not 
express  landlordism,  but  rather  a  group  of  democratic  ideals.  This  is  partic- 
ularly and  most  clearly  expressed  in  the  plan,  where  is  indicated,  not  as  some 
would  have  it,  the  aping  of  a  more  pretentious  scale  ot  lite,  but  rather  a  direct 
and  vigorous  expression  ot  the  effort  to  lead  a  life  that  is  sociable,  though 
laborious. 

It  is  this  which  we  have  expressed  in  our  Miiall  houses.  This  is  wli\,  with  all 
their  ugliness,  they  are  characteristic  of  America.  Is  this  not  enough  for  a 
new  people  to  have  accomplished"?  Is  this  not  a  sufficiently  firm  foundation 
upon  which  to  build'? 

Quite  natural  1\  we  consitler  small  houses  as  being  in  the  nature  ot  an  indi- 
vidual or  a  ]>(rsonal  exjiression  onl_\-,  something  growing  out  of  the  mind  of  the 
owner,  the  builder  or  the  architect.  A  stud\-  ot  the  history  of  the  house  trom  the 
earliest  times  torces  home  to  one  the  fact  that  it  is  a  proiluct  or  expression  of 
great  social  and  economic  forces. 

It  is  not  alone  the  taste  ot  the  owner  or  the  art'hitei.t  wliiih  establishes  the 
general  character  of  the  house.  It  is  rather  that  the  general  character  of  the 
house  is  established  by  these  forces,  and  those  who  actually  build  it  in  mate- 
rials but  modify  the  details  already  establish(d  by  trailition.  From  the  tree 
house  of  tii<-  iropii'.  the  cave  house  ot  the  North,  antl  the  later  primitive  house, 
consisting  of  but  a  single  room,  down  to  the  modern  house  ot  oui  own  day.  we 
see  these  forces  working;  we  see  them  changing. — the  changes  bringing  greater 
comfort  to  the  individual.      Precedent  h  l^  betn  the  determining  factor  in  build- 


iMHODic  riox 

ing,  and  :ii  wc  look  back,  \vi-  wondrr  that  a  people  could  have  tohratrd  in  times 
past  the  stupid  housing:  ronditions  und<T  which  they  lived. 

When  wr  compart-  these  old  crude  expressions  with  the  homes  of  the  present 
ilay,  it  is  evident  that  we  have  {jone  a  long  way,  and  yet,  who  can  state  that  a 
tew  centuries  hence  we  shall  not  have  evolveil  a  type  which  will  make  our  pres- 
ent achievement  look  as  crude  then  as  the  log  house  of"  but  a  few  generations 
past  Nxiks  to  us  to-day"? 

Yet  one  may  xsk  what  has  all  this  to  il<>  with  this  particular  problem,  and 
how  can  this  helji  us  in   the  building  of  better  housesV      Let  us  seel 

It  was  but  a  few  generations  ago  that  local  tradition  alone  influenced  mate- 
rially the  ilesign  and  the  arrangement  of  the  houses.  There  was  not  possible  at 
that  time  the  universal  interchange  of  ideas  which  we  possess  to-day.  There 
was  not  [iresent  the  demand  for  community  life  such  as  we  find  characteristic 
<if  our  civilization;  the  great  industrial  centers  did  not  exist,  and  there  were 
not  present  such  contlitions  as  we  find  in  our  great  suburban  communities, — in 
other  words,  the  housing  problem  did  not  exist. 

Many  are  the  intlividuals  and  .societies  spending  in  total  large  sums  of  money 
uiKin  stimulating  the  erection  of  better  houses  and  providing  for  the  working  man 
houses  of  simple  design,  economical  in  construction,  safe  and  sanitary,  and 
many  municipalities  and  states  throughout  the  world — more  particularly  in 
Kuro[)e — are  giving  to-day  vcrj'  serious  study  and  consideration  to  this  subject. 
The  task  is  difficult.  There  is  a  multitude  of  complex  conditions  entering  into 
the  problem.  In  bringing  about  better  housing  conditions  and  better  houses 
from  the  aesthetic  standpoint,  the  garden  cities  of  Europe  have  been  an  impor- 
tant factor.  These  do  not  represent  a  complete  solution  of  the  problem,  but  they 
[loint  in  the  right  direction.  Through  these  experiments  we  have  been  able  to 
g:iin  a  great  deal  of  knowledge. 

The  early  efforts  in  garden  city  development  were,  in  the  main,  along  phil- 
anthropic or  semi-philanthropic  lines.  In  the  more  recent  developments,  how- 
ever, there  are  a  number  of  examples  where  the  funds  have  been  provided  by  the 
people  themselves.  It  is  in  these  latter  developments  that  we  find  an  architec- 
ture more  accurately  expressive  of  the  conditions  and  more  consistent  in  char- 
acter, and  wi-  already  see  in  these  developments  the  possibilities  of  a  better  archi- 
tecture. 

The  many  efforts  made  toward  better  housing  are  aimed  primarily  toward 
providing  better  living  conditions.  This,  in  a  word,  means  that  houses  must  be 
built  cheaply  but  at  the  same  time  of  durable  materials.  They  must  be  sani- 
tary and  wholesome,  and  what  is  of  vital  importance,  they  must  be  so  designed 


INTRODUCTION 

as  to  meet  the  actual  needs  and  requirements  and  to  satisfy  the  reasonable  de- 
mands resulting  trom  a  better  education  and  an  independence  of  spirit. 

In  these  community  developments,  beyond  providing  for  these  things,  a  seri- 
ous effort  has  been  made  along  the  esthetic  side.  We  realize  that  it  is  pos- 
sible to  do  nuich  toward  raising  the  standard.  The  influence  of  good  work 
surely  tells,  and  it  has  a  marked  influence  upon  adjacent  and  even  distant 
communities  where  the  erection  of  small  homes  goes  on  through  the  effort  of 
individuals  only. 

This  effort,  however,  does  not  solve  the  problem.  The  problem  of  obtaining 
worthy  designs  ot  small  houses  is  an  exceedingly  difficult  one  and  at  present, 
there  seem  to  be  few  avenues  open  to  the  owner  desiring  to  build  a  small  home 
other  than  to  secure  the  services  of  the  speculative  builder  or  contractor,  or  as 
he  is  sometimes  termed,  "architect,"  or  to  bu}-  a  book  depicting  one  hundred  hid- 
eous houses  for  one  dollar. 

The  architect  of  ability, — and  it  takes  an  architect  of  .mch  qualification  to  de- 
sign a  small  home, — has  not  been  able  to  do  a  great  deal  toward  bettering  the 
design  of  the  vast  number  of  our  small  houses  which  make  the  majority  of 
American  homes.  His  oflfice,  by  necessity,  is  situated  in  one  of  the  larger  cities; 
his  problems,  in  the  main,  are  the  larger  problems  of  cit}-  and  country,  and 
about  the  only  opportunity  ever  presented  to  him  comes  when  he  is  called  upon 
to  lay  out  and  design  something  in  the  nature  ot  a  garden  city  or  a  comnumit)' 
development.  The  economic  side  of  the  problem  has  forced  him  away  from 
being  a  material  factor  in  its  solution. 

He  sees  these  little  ugly  houses  along  our  roads;  he  wishes  that  they  might 
be  otherwise,  and  yet  it  seems  almost  impossible  to  suggest  a  method  of  mak- 
ing them  better. 

A  number  of  efforts  have  been  matle  b)"  rhe  \arious  chapters  of  the  American 
Institute  ot  Architects  toward  this  end.  There  are  at  present  a  number  of 
schemes  under  consideration  looking  toward  providing  something  in  the  nature 
ot  scale  drawings  which  could  be  {Purchased  by  an  owner  for  a  verj-  nom- 
inal sum,  these  to  be  modified  under  the  supervision  of  a  competent  architect, 
so  as  to  adapt  them  to  rlie  \ar\  ing  conditions  of  site. 

While  all  ot  these  efforts  are  in  a  verj'  preliminary  state  of  development,  vet 
they  indicate  the  possibility  of  a  solution.  The  Deixirtment  of  Agriculture  at 
Washington  has  already  started  a  dejiartment,  the  object  of  which  is  to  stud)' 
carefully  the  farm  house  problem  to  this  same  end,  and  alreail\'  the  work  is  well 
under  wa\.  There  is  no  logical  reason  w  liy  rhe  Federal  Crovernment,  if  jirop- 
erly  supported  in  this  excellent  work,  slu)uld  not  be  a  strong  factor  in  bringing 


i\  I  iu)i)i  c HON 

about  a  hiphcr  standard  in  tlic  tnctu)n  of  buildinps  upon  the  farm,  not  only 
from  thf  rcononuc  and  siK-ial  side,  but  from  the  asthctic  side  as  well.  Many 
newspapers  and  i>eriodicals  have  instituted  competitions;  many  have  been  con- 
ducteil  under  most  excellent  conditions.  Much  material  of  value  has  been  pub- 
lished. The  j^ood,  however,  is  so  insignificant  in  its  total  amount  as  compared 
with  the  bad  that  as  yet  the  influence  is  lianlly  felt. 

This  b<M)k  is  not  an  attempt  to  consider  the  housing  question  in  gene  ral,  nor 
to  su|)plv  the  |)rosj»ectivc  owner  with  designs  or  plans  for  small  houses,  hut  it  is 
rather  an  attempt  to  present  to  the  prospective  owner  of  a  home  a  few  simple 
suggestions  as  to  the  best  methotls  of  attacking  his  problem  and  also  a  few 
hints  concerning  the  great  undcrl)  ing  princijiles  of  good  design.  It  purposes  to 
state  these  principles  in  such  a  way  that  they  may  be  easily  understood  and 
acted  u|ion. 

All  our  experience  in  life  shows  that  it  is  easier  to  criticize  a  bad  thing  than 
to  construct  a  good  one.  Houses  are  no  exception  to  the  nile.  We  can  easily 
.see  the  errors  in  the  work  of  others;  we  criticize  with  a  spirit  of  bravado,  but 
wh«'n  we  start  something  of  our  own,  how  grateful  we  are  if  some  guiding  gen- 
ius tells  us  what  to  avoid!  We  all  feel  that  we  do  not  need  to  ask  that  we  be 
not  led  into  temptation  so  much  as  we  need  to  be  told  how  to  avoid  failure. 

Nearly  all  books  which  deal  with  domestic  architecture  are  put  together  with 
the  idea  of  showing  examples  of  good  houses  and  jilans  which  have  merit,  and 
from  which  the  student  or  the  reader  may  draw  inspiration.  This  is  only  half 
of  the  stor}-.  It  is  not  enough  to  point  out  what  is  good  in  art  or  architecture, 
we  should  jxiint  out  what  is  bad  also,  and  show  by  specific  illustrations  how  the 
errors  may  be  avoided.  One  of  the  purposes  of  this  book  is  to  present  good 
and  bad  examples  of  domestic  architecture,  and  ro  point  out  specifically  many 
of  the  common  faults  in  planning  and  in  detail  to  \\liich  the  inexperienced 
home-builder  is  liable,  and  which  remain  to  commemorate  his  ignorance  and 
bad  taste. 

FrF.DI  RICK    L.    ACKERMAN, 
Member  of  the  American  Institute  of  .'\rchitects. 


THE   HONEST   HOUSE 


A  queer  fancy  seems  to  be  current  that  a  fire  exists  to 
warm  people.  It  exists  to  warm  people,  to  light  their  dark- 
ness, to  raise  their  spirits,  to  toast  their  muffins,  to  air  their 
rooms,  to  cook  their  chestnuts,  to  tell  stories  to  their  children, 
to  make  checkered  shadows  on  their  walls,  to  boil  their  hur- 
ried kettles,  and  to  be  the  red  heart  of  a  man's  house  and 
hearth,  for  which,  as  the  great  heathens  said,  a  man  should 
die. 

— G.  K.  Chesterton,  in  "What's 
Wrong  with  the  World." 


^ 


x.<>Ss>-"~:^j^-5^ 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  gUEST  OF  THE   IDEAL  HOUSE 


YOI"  arc  f^oinj^  to  huiUl  a  little 
house,  your  tirst  and  only  house, 
}our  home.  For  )ears  )ou  have 
(licamcil  and  saved  and  scrimped  with  the 
rosy  vision  ot  your  Ideal  House  luring  }ou 
on.  At  last  }()u  ha\'e  accunuiiated  the  hoard 
of  dollars  }()u  hxcd  tor  your  ^oal.  Now 
)()u  are  reaii)-  to  bu)'  a  bit  of  earth  for  jour 
house,  ready  to  approach  the  practical  prob- 
lem ot  the  huildinf^  of  it.  How  are  you 
to  accompli>h  itV  You  cannot  go  ahead 
blindly. 

\o\\  look  about  )'ou  at  the  huiulreils  of 
small  hoii-c-;  built  b)-  i)eo])lc  who  have  enter- 
tained ideals,  just  as  you  have,  and  \ou 
reali/e  that  a  large  projiortion  ot  these  houses 
are  poor  in  design,  inconvenient  in  plan, 
and  uneconomical  in  construction,  ^^'har  is 
wrong  about  it  all.  an\wa\  ''.  It  a  man  has 
worked  hard  tor  honor  dollars  to  build  a 
lioux',  why  is  it  .^o  diliicult  tor  him  to  ac- 
comjilish  an  honest  hou^e'^  "^'ou  \vi>h  to  use 
yoiu'  bi-^r  knowledge  and  judgment  to  injure 
the  expending  of  jour   hard   earned    money 


to  the  be>t  possible  advantage.  Presumably 
}<)ur  neighbors  had  the  same  ambition. 
W'h}-,  then,  are  there  so  few  small  houses  that 
are  honest  in  construction,  logical  in  plan, 
and  attractive  to  the  eye"?  Are  there  any 
means  which  ma}'  be  taken  to  prevent  de- 
plorable results'? 

It  is  tair  to  assume  that  you  do  not  rely 
on  )our  own  technical  skill,  in  either  design 
or  construction.  "S'ou  know  that  you  _\()ur- 
self  are  an  expert  in  jour  own  line  of  work; 
that  j'our  value  to  the  communitj"  depends 
dircctl}  on  jour  abilitj'  to  ser\e  them  in  this 
expert  capacity,  ^'ou  are  likely  to  apply 
this  reasoning  irt  the  lase  of  jour  own  home. 
"\'ou  probablj'  beli(\c  that  those  people  who 
are  designing  and  buihling  houses  right  along 
are  the  very  peojile  who  can  furnish  jou  the 
expert  service  jou  nceti.  So  tar.  so  good. 
It  becomes,  then,  not  a  matter  ot  whether 
\{i\\  shall  have  hel|)  or  not,  but  ot  what  kind 
ot  help  JOU  shall  have. 

There  is  jour  neighbor  who  lias  recently 
built  a  hou'-e.      "^'ou  might   learn   trom  him 


THK  iioNKsr  iiorsK 

the  mrthcxis  hr  has  pursued,  and  pursue-  the-  <n.t  juci.n.ent  tables  of  costs  should  he  left 

sanic  yourself.     But  arc  vou  ahlr  to  detect  entir.l)  alone. 

the  f.mlt.s  in  his  adviceY  'sonu-tinu-s  owners  .Son,e  of  the  mapa/mes  are  even  running 
are  not  wholU  e.MW.ous  of  the  defects  in  departnients  for  the  purpose  o  g.v.ng  the 
their  houses.  'Sometimes  thev  are  conscious  readers  expert  professional  advice.  1  hey 
..f  these  defects  when  it  is  t<x,  late  to  rectify  print  plans  and  elevations  of  different  types 
thou  Grantin;:  that  vour  neighbor  will  of  houses  and  of  different  costs,  frequent  y 
pve  vou  the  benefit  of  his  exin-rience,  mis-  these  plans  are  dimensioned.  ;nul  eould  be 
takes'and  all,  d.K-s  his  house  till  your  par-  executed  effectiv.lu  1  h.  trouble  is  that 
ticular  re<,uirementsY  each  owner  wishes  to  var>  the  plan  in  some 
Supix^se  vou  wi>h  t.)  exercise  vour  judg-  way  that  shall  more  exactly  till  his  require- 
ment, indqn-ndentlv  of  vour  neighbor^,  ments.  and  in  making  the  alterations  he  is 
You  will  hnd  various  kinds  of  assistance  at  v.-ry  lik.Iy  to  lose  whatever  merit  existed  in 
hand.  The  most  im|H)rtant  of  them  are  the  the  original  design.  If  by  any  chance  one  of 
maga7.in«-s,  the  carp-nters,  and  the  architects,  these  houses  should  be  built  exacth"  as  shown, 
The  magazines  have  done  much  to  create  a  it  is  very  likely  that  it  would  be  inappropriate 
general  interest  in  Ix-ttering  small  house  ar-  to  the  locality. 

chitecture.  A  few  of  the  magazines  that  have  a  desire 
Much  of  your  inspiration  has  come  from  to  give  actual  help  to  the  man  who  would 
the  magazine  articles  on  house  building,  build  his  own  house  employ  consulting  archi- 
probably.  I  know  a  man  who  confesses  that  tects.  When  these  men  can  give  time  and 
for  vears  he  b<«ight  every  number  of  a  well  thought  to  the  problems  of  individual  linine 
known  journal  for  women  because  he  loved  builders,  the  magazines  will  be  doing  a  great 
hous<-s  so.  anil  this  magazine  often  presented  work  indeed.  But  such  a  service,  it  success- 
pictures  of  charming  houses  at  ridiculously  ful,  would  mean  that  thousands  of  problems 
low  prices.  The  trouble  wxis  that  the  houses  would  be  })resented  to  the  staff  architect,  and 
could  n't  b«-  built  at  the  prices  named;  he  dis-  he  could  n't  consider  them  all.  We  are  not 
covered  this  when  he  actually  tried  to  build  living  in  the  millennium,  and  magazine 
one  of  them.  Still,  he  argiics,  the  magazine  owners  are  not  likel)-  to  emplo)'  more  archi- 
did  much  to  stimulate  his  interest  in  house  tects  than  editors,  and  it  would  undoubtedly 
buiUiing,  and  so  he  does  not  altogether  con-  come  to  this!  So — make  the  best  of  the  ad- 
demn  its  impractical  advice.  vice  offered  you,  and  then  turn  to  the  other 

Most  of  fhi-  architects  I  know  are  not  so  possible  sources  of  help. 

amiable  alxHit  the  case  of  the  women's  maga-  l^ndoubtedly  you  have  a  neighbor  who  is 

zines.     Their  quarrel  is  with  the  misinforma-  a  carpenter,  or  who  knows  a  carpenter.     We 

tion  supjilieil  by  glib  writers  who  quote  prices  all  have  neighbors  who  are  carpenters.     Some 

that  may  b<'  reliable  in  an  individual  instance,  of  us,  however,  know  things  about  carpenters 

but  nine  times  out  of  ten  the  client  who  relies  which  }ou,  as  a  home  builder,  may  not  know. 

ujion  them  finds  that  his  is  not  the  instance.  The  architect  knows  that  the  average  car- 
He  is  unable  to  use  judgment  in  com()aring  [wnter  is  not  a  designer;  he  cannot  plan. 
the  quotations  to  his  own  IfK-ality.  and  with-     That  is,  he  cannot  plan  as  conveniently  as 

4 


THE  QIEST  OF  THE  IDEAL  HOUSE 


What  could  be  more  attractive  than  this  charming  old  house,  in  WeMclie.Mci  tiniiuv,  NHv  York,  wiili  its  plain 
shingled  walls?  The  shingles  are  laid  in  wide  courses,  about  nine  inches  to  the  weather.  Their  irregularity  gives 
an  added  interest  to  the  house.  Note  also  the  unbroken  roof  surfaces,  and  the  total  absence  of  meaningless  orna- 
ment. 


should  be  tor  the  amount  you  are  goin^  to 
expend  on  your  house.  He  cannot  make  his 
hard  and  fast  ideas  conform  to  the  |K-culiar 
rec]uirements  of  every  individual  client.  He 
lacks  the  flexibility  to  change  his  idea.s  be- 
cause he  lacks  the  knowledge  and  the  training 
which  give  flexibility.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  I  am  speaking  of  carpenters  who 
arc  architects,  not  of  carpenters  who  pursue 
their  own  callings.  There  is  no  more  honor- 
able profession  but  it  should  not  be  confused 
with  architecture. 

The  car[)enter  must  always  copy.  Some- 
times it  is  good  work  and  sometimes  it  is  bail 
work  which  he  choo.ses  to  copy,  or  to  adapt. 
In  either  case,  it  is  a  matter  of  chance,  tor 
the  simple  reason  that  he  lacks  the  esthetic 
and  the  jiractical  judgment  to  know  good 
from  bad  design.     Yet  despite  the  fact  that 


he  takes  all  his  ideas  from  other  people,  he 
cannot  be  brought  to  admit  that  the  other 
people,  meaning  the  architects,  are  ot  any  use 
to  him  or  to  the  home  maker.  He  seems  to 
feel  bound  to  detend  his  ignorance  b)'  re- 
pudiating the  source  of  what  knowledge  he 
has.  He  usually  has  a  lot  of  arguments  up 
his  sleeve  against  the  architect.  Here  are 
some  of  them  : — 

(  1  )  The  architect  is  an  additional  expense. 
That  is,  the  fee  paid  to  the  architect  is  simply 
so  much  moni  \  thrown  into  the  ditch. 

(2)  The  architect  is  a  very  arbitrary  fel- 
low, and  will  not  allow  tl>e  owner  to  have 
an\  thing  he  wants  if  he  can  possibly  prevent 
it.  (This  is  of  course  a  throw  at  the  high- 
brow architect  who  no  doubt  exist.s.  but  who 
is  far  from  typical  ol  the  protession.) 

(  T,)  The  architect  will   take  a  month  or 


nil.  MONKS r  HorsE 


more  to  draw  fhr  plan^.  anil  this  nuan>  a 
month  or  morr  wa.st«"ii. 

Thcrr  art"  «>tlirr  sf(xk  objections  whiili  he 
ailvan-.Ts  also,  whiih  it  is  not  mvrssary  to 
rniinuTatr.  All  ot  thnn.  imiiulin;^  thr  ones 
nirntionrii,  can  Ix-  answrnil  atl«<|uat«ly  with 
tacts  j;rratly  to  the  contusion  ot  the  car- 
|M'ntiT.  We  shall  niakr  no  attempt,  how- 
ever, to  answer  them  here  for  our  purpose  is 
to  help  t(»  brin;;  about,  not  a  ilispute,  but  a 
thor«»u;;h-p)in^  co-o|»«rative  working;  policy 
in  which  own«T,  car|wnter  ( anti  by  carpen- 
ter we  mean  all  the  builiiin;:  trades),  and 
architect  timl  their  prop<T  |)laces  and  re- 
wards. It  each  can  be  br<)u;:ht  to  realize  his 
tle|Mndence  on  th«'  others,  you  will  lie  in  :i 
fair  way  towartl  ^jettinj:  an  iilial  home  for 
your  investment. 

It  matters  not  whether  you  are  poinfj  to 
build  a  tour-r(x)m  cott.ape  or  a  forty-room 
house.  The  principles  are  the  same.  Vou 
mi;;ht  be  able  to  learn  these  princi|)les  from 
reailin;:  and  observation.  You  mi^'ht  find 
an  intellifjent  car|>enter  who  could  copy  a 
po<xt  house  for  \n\\.  And  also  you  mifiht  po 
to  a  so-called  architect  and  pet  a  disappoint- 
ing house.  The  chances  are  .ipainst  you.  un- 
less you  solve  certain  problems  as  .in  architect 


would  solve  them.  The  main  questions  you 
must  answer  to  your  own  satistaction  are: 

•What  is  a  house.  anywa\  V  .\iid  what 
is  the  advantage  ro  me  of  consulting  an  aivlii- 
fectV  How  am  I  to  know  a  riaincii  anliitcct 
when  I  find  him  V" 

The  architect's  answer  is  lucid  enouf^h : 

A  house  is  primarily  a  buildinji  to  live  in. 
The  iiiea  in  |ilannin>^  a  house  is  to  make  it 
comfortable. 

"Comfortable"  means  rliar  riic  arrange- 
ment ot  rooms  should  be  convenient,  that  the 
heatinj;  system  should  be  so  that  the  house 
can  be  made  warm  when  one  wishes,  that  the 
phimbing  system  should  never  fail  to  give 
hot  water,  that  the  windows  shoulil  nor  leak, 
anil  that  the  cellar  should  be  dry. 

These  things  when  well  done  give  bodily 
comfort. 

There  is,  however,  .another  comfort,  which 
has  been  called  a  "comfort  of  the  eve." 

Though  your  plumbing  system  is  perfect, 
and  )our  cellar  dr\-,  and  your  house  warm, 
we  still  ask:  "Is  it  attractive"^  Does  it 
plea.se  the  eye?" 

T//C  houses  in  ivh/ch  we  live  must  not  only 
answer  the  conditions  of  efficiency,  but  of 
ijood  taste  also. 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  ^■ALl  E  OV  THE  ARCHITECT 


YOU  have  only  so  many  dollars  for 
your  house  and  as  you  count  the 
precious  hoard  you  wonder  it  you 
can  afford  an  architect.  What  niake>  an 
architect  desirahle,  an}  \va}-,  when  )ou  have 
plans  ot  houses  ot  all  styles  and  all  periocis 
to  draw  upon"?  When  you  have  denied 
yourselves  so  much  for  this  ideal  house, 
dreamed  and  studied  so  for  it,  you  feel  you 
cannot  afford  to  lose  the  best  part  of  it — your 
comfort  and  satisfaction.  And  so  jou  make 
a  program  of  }our  recjuirements  and  begin  to 
question  if,  after  all  Aour  years  of  [ilanning, 
you  are  n't  just  as  capable  to  build  your  own 
house  as  an  architect.  You  know  what  }ou 
want.  Why  pay  another  to  tell  youV  Why 
shiiulil  n't  ever)'  man  be  his  own  architei'f? 
Just  what  is  an  architect  anyway"? 

The  science  of  building  is  the  practical  siiie 
of  house  construction.  The  art  ot  designing 
is  the  other.  Thar  is  w  li_\  the  architect, 
trained  to  consitler  both  aspects,  is  more  suc- 
cessful than  the  practical  bulkier  luitrained 
in  the  iiistor\-  of  art  and  design,  or  the  artist 
untrained  in  the  use  of  building  materials. 


Now,  just  as  there  are  houses  and  houses, 
so  there  are  architects  and  architect>.  To  be- 
come a  good  artist  it  will  readil\  be  granted 
one  nuist  stud\  long  and  assiduously;  to  be- 
come a  good  practical  builder  one  must  study 
and  work  with  all  the  different  building  ma- 
terials, must  learn  to  put  them  together,  must 
ascertain  what  their  man\  (jualities  are. 
This  also  is  a  long  study. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  .see  that  an  architect, 
who  must  cover  both  the.se  fields,  is  not  matle 
overnight.  The  study  of  the  practical  side 
ot  building  is  admittedly  long.  What  .shall 
we  saj  ot  the  study  ot  design,  which  is  simph' 
the  development  of  good  taste"?  The  de- 
velopment may  continue  during  a  lifetime; 
rhtrc  i>  no  (muI  to  the  ^tud)  ot  g(KHl  taste. 

"But,"  some  one  argues,  "suppose  we  are 
willing  to  give  up  our  questionable  plans  and 
copy  a  good  oh!  house"?  Suppo>e  we  like  a 
square  brick  house  in  .Salem,  or  a  statel\  white 
house  in  Richmond,  or  a  clapboard  cottage  in 
our  honu-  town  well  enough  to  cop\  it"? 
.Suppo.se  we  have  tound  just  our  ideal  ram- 
bling house  in  Kngland,  or  France,  or  Italy. 


II IK  HONKST  HOUSE 


i»>«t>«i^  >' 


^ 


The  Villa  Gamberaia  is  one  of  the  glories  of  Italy. 


You  admit  that  we  builii  our  houses  on 
the  traditions  of  thrsc  countries.  Why 
should  n't  we  reprodiue  these  hou.ses  faith- 
fully"^    Why  consult  an  architect"?" 

I'niess  you  can  select  evtr\  door,  every 
window-casinp,  every  molding;;  unless  you 
can  assemble  exactly  the  materials  that  went 
into  these  old  houses,  how  can  }ou  reproduce 
them"?  How  can  you  buiki  a  closet  or  a 
bathroom  in  a  symmetrical  Georjiian  house? 
How  can  you  ;:ef  real  timber-work  in  }our 
Norman  cottaf^e  without  paying'  well  tor  it"? 
How  can  you  pet  your  windows  scattered 
proix-rly  over  the  surface  of  your  Italian  villa 
and  at  the  same  time  meet  all  the  hard  con- 
ditions of  practical  comfort  demanded  by  a 
nuxiem  home-builder"?  How  can  you  pet 
the  soft  curve  of  an  Enplish  roof-line  without 
thatch  ■? 

The  idea  that  a  simple  Colonial  house  can 
be  copied  by  a  carpenter  is  danperous ;  the 
simplicity  of  those  old  houses  was  enforced. 

"But  this  is  dreadful  I"  some  one  arpies. 
"You  are  condemninp  us  to  drean,'  boxes,  safe 
houM's  of  no  character.  What  chance  is  there 
for  charm  and  oripinalitv  in  a  small  house?" 


There  is  all  tin-  chance  in  the  world;  as 
many  chances  as  there  are  houses  to  be  built. 
The  most  interestinp  house  in  America  is  the 
small  countrj-  cottape,  and  it  is  also  the  rep- 
resentative house. 

It  is  not  penerally  understood  that  it  is 
much  more  difficult  to  desipn  a  small  house 
than  a  larpe  one.  A  five- room  cottage  may 
be  just  as  distinguished  as  a  great  house,  but 
it  takes  a  trained  architect  to  make  it  so,  and 
the  trained  architect  usually  has  his  hands 
full  of  bipper  thinps.  It  is  n't  that  he  scorns 
the  small  house — he  loves  it.  When  he  turns 
his  hands  to  it,  he  does  somethinp  supremely 
complete  and  charminp.  But  he,  like  all  the 
rest  of  us,  is  concerned  with  makinp  a  finan- 
cial success,  and  he  does  n't  often  find  a  client 
who  wants  a  small  house  tor  a  reasonable 
amoimt  ot  monej-.  The  averape  client  wants 
a  larpe  house  for  a  very  small  and  insuflficient 
amount.  And  so  there  are  very  few  riczv  small 
houses  that  have  both  convenience  and  charm. 
There  are  thousands  of  lovable  old  ones — 
claj^board  and  shinple  cottapes,  and  field 
stone  ones,  and  old  brick  ones.  But  the  new 
ones  are  apt  to  be  hideous  things,  mushrooms 


8 


THE  \'ALUE  OF  THE  ARCHITECT 


that  grow  overnight  from  queer  floor  phxns; 
lump}'  bungalows;  pretentious  cottages  ot 
stucco  or  wood  masquerading  as  manor 
houses.  The  smaller  they  are,  the  more  at- 
tention they  require,  and  the  less  they  receive. 
Poor  little  houses! 

All  small  houses  should  he  good,  because 
people  love  them  so.  We  do  not  ahva}s  re- 
sent the  great  ostentatious  pile  of  masonr\' 
that  the  newly  rich  man  builds  tor  himselt, 
because  the  chances  are  he  has  much  space 
and  many  trees  around  it.  But  we  do  feel 
sad  over  the  poor  little  houses  that  might  so 
easily  be  beautiful. 


The  very  small  house  shown  on  page  1 1 
was  designed  by  Mr.  Charles  Piatt,  who  is 
known  everywhere  as  a  designer  of  great 
country  houses.  This  little  house  has  as 
nuich  charm  as  his  larger  hou.ses. 

The  \'anderbilt  gate  lodge  at  Great  Neck, 
Long  Island,  is  a  triumphant  expression  of 
the  trained  architect.  The  inspiration  is 
-Xorman.  The  timber-work  is  actual,  not 
sham.  The  tiles  came  from  an  old  middle- 
western  church.  The  gargoyles  are  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  the  proper  use  of  ornament.  The 
root  line  and  the  chimney  treatment  are  so 
delightful  that  we  feast  our  eyes  on  their  fine 


John    Riifsfll    Pope, 
.Arcliiicct. 

DesiRncd  in  ilie  Nor- 
m.iii  style  of  half  lim- 
hrr  arihiircmre,  ihr 
Vaiutcrbilt  loJ);r,  31 
Urrpilalr,  l.oii);  NIand, 
is  iiiicrcstiiit;  especially 
l>ecaii>e  of  the  ihoroiiRh- 
iicss  with  which  the  de- 
>i^n  was  carried  out. 
I  he  half  timher  if  rral 
h.ilf  timher.  the  tilen  are 
rt'.il  old  tiles  and  the 
whole  ho\isc  has  an  as- 
pect of  age.  I'here  are 
few  more  perfect  exam- 
ples of  small  house  de- 
sign. 


nil.  ii()m:^i  iioi  se 


linrs.  but — whin  \vr  cffluc  down  to  csst-ntials 
— this  is  .siinply  a  ti\r-nH)ni  lottaj^r,  |)I;inmtl 
tor  a  taniily  ol  two  [Hoplr. 

Tlusf  two  rotta^^cs  arc  thr  tincst  |K).s.siblr 
illustrations  of  the  trainnl  architrct's  titncss 
for  his  profession,  a  titiu»  that  lonirs  trt)ni 
thr  pride  of  w«)rknianship  and  thr  joy  ot 
w«)rk. 

If,  fh«n,  you  are  f^oinj;  to  tiiiploy  an  anhi- 
tfct  (and  it  is  thr  only  sen>ibl«-  tiling  to  ilo) 
you  should  submit  all  your  ideas  to  his  knowl- 
edge ami  trainin;;,  just  as  \t)u  would  rest  yinir 
case  with  your  law\er.  or  trust  your  child  to 
your  doitor.  ^'ou  should  ^o  about  the  busi- 
ness ot  house-buildinj^  with  an  open  mind. 
You  nuist  UM)k  upon  your  house  as  a  litetime 
business.  If  you  don't  live  in  it  always, 
some  one  will  follow  you.  You  nuist  build 
t«)r  those  [H-ople  who  will  follow  jou,  as  well 
as  for  the  immediate  content  and  comfort  ot 
yourself.  You  should  be  free  to  tell  your 
architect  all  the  thin^^s  you  have  thouf^hr  our 
about  your  house,  but  then  you  should  let  the 
problem  rest  with  him. 

The  architect's  profession  is  based  on  an 
exact  science.  He  must  know  th<  liistorv  of 
house-buildinfj.  For  instance,  he  must  know 
the  sif^nificance  of  the  four  styles  from  which 
we  commonly  draw  our  ins[)i ration  for  our 
homes  of  mcxlerate  size  and  cost — the  Colo- 
nial or  Georgian,  the  Norman,  the  English  and 


the  Italian.  Each  style  has  its  special  value 
for  ailaptation  and  use.  All  are  subject  to 
the  ^amc  j^eneral  principles  of  good  design. 
What  these  principles  an  .  what  things  should 
be  don( ,  what  rules  observed  that  your  house 
ma)  bi-  attractive,  it  is  the  business  of  the 
architect  to  know,  and  it  is  yours  also  from 
the  minute  you  begin  to  plan  \()ur  house. 
Go(kI  house-design  is  not  obtained  li)  him 
who  ha>  a  |)ractical  mind  onl}  ;  it  is  essential 
that  he  also  have  an  e)  e  trained  for  beauty  in 
things. 

If  vou  haven't  taken  the  trouble  to  train 
your  eye,  if  \'ou  don't  know  why  one  house  is 
goixl  and  another  bad,  play  safe.  Stick  to 
simple  things.  Be  modest.  See  to  it  that 
your  architect  knows  )our  desire  tor  sim- 
plicity. This  may  seem  drab  counsel,  if  you 
are  full  of  original  and  untried  ideas,  but 
until  you  have  learned  the  rudiments  ot  any 
art,  go  warily  I  Don't  try  to  put  on  "lugs," 
and  don't  let  your  architect  put  them  on. 
He  won't,  an\  way,  if  he  knows  his  business. 

But  how  are  you  to  know?  There's  the 
rub!  It  is  unfortunate  that  we  accept  the 
architect  so  casually  here  in  America.  In 
European  countries  it  is  usual  to  require  an 
architect  to  hold  a  diploma,  or  what  cor- 
responds to  a  license,  before  he  is  fully  en- 
titled to  practise  his  profe.ssion.  Over  there 
a  man  nia\  liuiKl  his  own  house  from  his  own 


;■""" 


i: 


J    V 


Fir»t  floor  plan.  Second   floor  plan. 

House  on  estate  of  Robert  U.  Schut/,  Hartford,  Connecticut. 

10 


THE  \ALl  E  OF  THE  AKCHH  ECT 


Charlfs  A.   Piatt.  Architect. 
This  example   of   house   design   shows  how    great   are  the    possibilities    for    an    attractive    small    house.     Note    the 
beautifully    proportioned    dormer    windows    and    the    fine    cliaracier   of    the   details   of    this   house,    which    is    located   on 
the    estate   of    Mr.    Robert    H.    Schutz,    at    Hartford.    Connecticut. 


plan.s,  but  it  he  employs  an  architect  it  is  with 
the  understainlin;^  that  the  term  '■architect'" 
implies  a  special,  serious  traininji.  We 
Americans  demand  this  proof  of  the  fitness  of 
our  hiwyers,  our  doctors,  and  our  dentists,  but 
we  have  no  hold  on  the  men  who  call  them- 
selves our  architects.  WC  have  not  \it 
awakened  to  the  consequent  stupidities  and 
atrocities  that  surround  us  and  make  us  ridic- 
ulous to  the  people  ot  oMer  countries. 

Down  in  l-lorida  reccntl),  in  a  municipal 
council,  it  was  proposed  that  all  buildings 
over  a  certain  cost  shoidd  be  desij^ned  by  an 
architect  or  an  engineer,  as  the  case  re(]\iired. 
This  jilan  wa^  defeated  on  the  ground  that 
any  one  ot  ordinar\  common  sense  could  draw 
plans  tor  a  liuiklinf:;!      Is  it  a  womler  we  ^o 


slowly  in  establi.shinf^  an  American  architec- 
ture V 

Any  man  who  can  drive  a  nail  may  call 
himself  an  architect,  and  perpetrate  one 
dreadful  hou.se  after  another.  The  country 
is  full  ot  these  untrained  men  whose  taste  is 
ojien  to  crititism  on  the  {ground  ot  inuiia- 
turity,  to  use  no  harder  expre.ssion.  There- 
fore, you  who  are  about  to  build  shoulii  in- 
vestifjate  the  stanilin^'  ot  your  architect,  and 
fi;o  to  him  not  simpiv  because  he  calls  him.self 
so.  For  the  time  beiufj  you  are  entering  a 
business  partnership  with  him.  and  you 
shouKl  investigate  what  he  has  to  offer  as 
carefully  as  you  investifjate  the  title  ot  the 
land  on  which  your  house  is  to  be  built. 

It  is  unfortunately  true  that  certain  idio- 


1 1 


Till.  MOM'S  I    n<u  SE 


syncnusifs  attath  to  sonic  of  the  anhitrtts  on 
the  outskirts  ot  tin-  protVssion.  It  is  rqiialiy 
unlortunatf  that  tlirsc  anliitrcts  are  the  ones 
with  whiHU  the  small  home  builtler,  directing 
his  own  course  of  proeeiiure,  is  likely  to  come 
into  ctmtacr. 

In  anhiteifure.  as  in  the  other  protessions, 
iniiividuals  are  marked  otf  into  classes  by  dit- 
fcrent  attitudes  of  mind.  The  attitude  ot 
the  s|)ecialist.  the  conuuercial  attitude,  the 
prof«-ssional  attitude  ami  the  attitude  ot  the 
professional  man  who  even  in  this  practice  is 
not  a  professional  man  merely,  are  the  four 
usually  encountereil. 

The  s|H'cialist  is  the  man  who  is  doing  a 
definite  line  of  work  for  a  particular  class  of 
|x-ople.  The  mill  architect  is  a  tyiiical  in- 
stance. He  iliK's  such  things  as  factories, 
warehouses,  and  large  commercial  buildings 
o\  a  similar  class.  His  knowledge  is  the 
knowledge  of  the  engineer,  rather  than  ot  the 
architect.  It  is  unlikely  that  the  mill  archi- 
tect will  hv  «ith<T  interestiil  or  successful  in 
the  designing  ot  small  ho\ises. 

The  commercial  attituile  is  simply  that  ot 
the  man  who  does  something  for  some  one, 
and  gets  paid  for  it.  It  is  a  typical  trades- 
man's attitude.  This  sort  of  an  architect 
feels  that  he  h;is  something  to  sell,  and  he 
means  to  get  a.s  much  as  he  legitimately  can 
for  it.  He  {>erfonns  his  service  in  the  brief- 
est |x>ssible  time,  taking  all  the  short  cuts  at 
his  disixisal,  and  paying  out  as  little  money 
in  salaries  as  is  consistent  with  the  satistac- 
tion,  or  what  he  calls  the  satisfaction,  of  his 
client,  ^^'hen  a  sincere,  and  not  a  cut  rate, 
worker,  he  may  be  relied  upon  to  do  a  work- 
manlike piece  of  ordinary  work.  Unfortu- 
nately, he  is  lacking  in  the  finer  jwrceptions  of 
esthetic  values.  He  cannot  study  a  problem 
with  sufficient  reference  to  the  location  and 


the  client's  peculiar  needs.  His  work  is 
likely  to  be  all  of  a  piece,  and  one  house  is 
ili.stinguishable  from  another  only  by  the  dif- 
ference in  size  anil  the  kinds  of  materials 
used.  He  performs  a  legitimate  service,  but 
a  service  of  a  kind  not  calculated  to  raise  the 
average  quality  of  small  house  architecture. 

The  professional  (perhaps  it  slumlii  be 
called  ultra-professional)  attitude  is  tliiu  in 
which  the  architect  tries  to  force  upon  the 
client  designs  and  ideas  in  wliich  he,  as  a  pro- 
fessional man,  has  the  greatest  confidence. 
He  is  preeminently  a  stylist.  His  work  is 
the  result  of  the  particular  faith  that  is  in 
him.  He  is  likely  to  be  found  among  the 
highest  class  (socially  speaking)  of  the  men 
in  practice.  When  he  is  a  man  of  jiromi- 
nence  and  strong  iniiividuality  he  can  un- 
doubtedly force  his  ideas  through. 

The  result,  however,  is  likely  to  be  unsatis- 
factory in  the  end,  from  the  view  of  the 
client.  Once  in  the  house,  the  client  finds 
numerous  places  that  are  not  to  his  liking. 
Several  of  the  rooms  are  to  him  imlivable, 
and  after  a  while  he  comes  to  realize  that  he 
is  occupying  not  his  own  house,  but  the  house 
of  his  architect. 

While  the  attitude  of  mind  of  this  kind  of 
practitioner  is  undoubtedly  one  to  command 
respect,  it  commands  the  respect  due  to  an 
artist  who  hap[)ens  to  be  an  architect,  rather 
than  to  a  home  maker. 

The  attitude  of  mind  of  the  architects  who 
are  not  professional  men  merely,  seems  cer- 
tainly to  be  the  right  one,  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  man  who  would  build  a  home. 
It  is  also  the  dominant  idea  among  those  men 
who  are  doing  the  domestic  work. 

These  men,  so  far  as  life  is  concerned,  are, 
like  the  client  himself,  still  in  the  making. 


They  are  near  enough  to  the  struggle  for  ex- 


12 


THE  \  ALLE  OF  THE  ARCHITECT 


Derby  &  Robinson,  Arcbiiccis. 
This  house  at  Winchester,  Massachusetts,  is  full  of  the  placid    charm   of   early    New    England    Colonial    architecture. 
Note  the  rather  unusual  but  happy  type  of  dormer. 

istencc  to  realize  that  happiness  is  the  main  what  this  standard  is,  and  work  with  it  in 
point,  after  all.  ami  that  happiness  is  not  con-  mind.  He  must  not  spend  the  limited  means 
fined  to  the  kind  of"  house  in  which  a  man  of  the  client  on  superfluities,  even  if  they 
lives.  They  believe,  however,  that  happi-  are  practical  superfluities, 
ness  is  materially  qualifieil  h\  the  home.  On  the  esthetic  side  also  there  are  stand- 
Just  wliat  these  respects  arc  vary  in  different  ards.  The  true  architect  of  homes  is  not  di.s- 
cases.  heartened  by  the  apparent  lack  of  taste  in  a 
Tin;  kintl  of  comfort  which  comes  from  client.  He  knows  that  in  certain  matters  a 
convenience  is  first  of  all,  perhajis,  with  the  client's  ipiorance  is  less  than  his  own.  He 
average  man.  He  has  accustomed  himself  remembers  always  when  he  is  commissioned 
to  a  certain  standard  of  livinj:,  ami  the  con-  to  do  a  house  for  a  client  that  it  is  the  client's 
veniences  which  he  ilemands  are  limiteil  by  house  he  is  iloing.  He  is  en;:ageii  upon  it  for 
this  standaril.      An   architect  must  find  out  a  m<inth  or  a  year,  but  th>- .  llmf  musr  Il\.  in 

<3 


IIU:  IlONKSl    IIOl  SK 

it  all  his  lite.     H«- iloes  not  s|H-nd  time  trying  the  pursuit  of  his  own   proper  life   work. 
to  tone  uiH>n  the  ilunt  a  humlreil  ami  onr         In  a  word,  he  pves  liis  client  something  to 

trivialitie-.  ot   design.   hi>  own   >int:ularifi<s.  (jruzc  /",  and  not  .something  to  //vc  up  to. 

jH-rhaps.  This  (granting  technical  skill  always),  and  a 

He  u>rs  hi>  best  knowledge  in  the  interpre-  proper  .solution  ot  all   the  i)ractical   require- 

tation  of  a  client's  fundanienral  n<-eds.     He  nients.    is    in    our    opinion    the    whole    art 

dc¥>  not  i)hM-rve  all  «)t  the  whimsical  wishes  of   architecture    as    ap[)lied    to    home    mak- 

«lie  clients  advance,  tor  these  are  often  no  ing. 

njore  than  the  cut  of  a  coat  for  a  particular  It    is   certainly   not    to   your   discredit   if 

.Mason.     He  giKS  below  the  e.xpressetl  iileas,  you  do  not  know  all  of  architecture.     You 

and    tintis   out    which    of   them    have    .Milid  can't  be  held  responsible  because  you  have 

toundarion.      Taking  these  and  a  knowledge  not  educated  yourself  in  all  the  arts.     You 

ot  the  man  (  and  by  this  should  be  understood  have  enough  to  do  to  educate  )ourself  in  tluit 

the  man's  whole  family),  he  retires  to  his  particular  {profession  which  gives  you  bread 

otJice  and  applies  his  harde.>^t  thinking  and  his  and  butter.     But  you  can  acquire  a  certain 

best  skill  to  the  d<signing  ot  a  home  which  knowletlge  of  the  simpler  principles  of  archi- 

the  client  can  <XTupy  in  that  comfort  of  body  tecture  which  will  help  jou  build  }our  house 

and   mind    which   shall    leave    him    free    to  wiseh   and  well. 


H 


CHAPTER  III 


AMERICAN    HOUSES  AND  THEIR    EUROPEAN  PROTOTM'ES 


WE  have  no  architecture  of  our 
own  in  America;  we  are  just 
emerging  into  the  light.  We 
are  a  popuhition  intensely  satisfied  with  cer- 
tain things.  We  are  well  schooled — that  is 
to  sa\'  we  know  our  arithmetic,  and  we  know 
how  to  buy  and  sell.  We  know  that  a  house 
must  have  a  bathroom  and  nuist  be  well 
heated.  But  few  people  ha\e  been  taught 
that  sheer  utility  is  not  the  end  of  things. 
Few  ot  us  are  taught  to  look  tor  beaut)-,  that 
the  ultimate  value  of  a  civilization  lies 
largely  in  what  it  contributo  to  beauty. 

We  hear  a  great  deal  about  the  improve- 
ment of  the  mind,  and  yet  thousands  of  well 
educated  [)eo[)le  live  in  houses  which  are  too 
atrocious  for  words.  Some  ot  them  are  not 
h\  pocritieal  in  this  matter;  tiny  don't  know 
that  their  houses  are  atrocious.  We  con- 
demn a  man  who  wears  show}-  clothes,  but 
many  of  us  don't  care  enough  to  notice 
whctlier  the  house  he  lives  in  is  show}  and 
vulgar,  nor  what  there  is  about  it  that  makes 
it  so.  Some  day  we  shall  appreciate  beauty 
more.      In  the  meantime  we  are  all  in  a  m<lt- 


ing  pot.  When  we  have  melted  a  little 
more,  and  our  economic  system  has  become 
more  stable,  we  shall  have  time  to  think 
whether  the  houses  we  live  in  are  cheap  or 
gaudy  or  pretentious. 

The  situation  to-day  is  a  normal  one,  when 
you  consider  the  histor}'  of  culture  of  the 
tine  arts  in  this  country.  It  is  interesting 
to  trace  this  history — that  is,  it  should  be  in- 
teresting. If  }ou  would  know  the  tenden- 
cies of  our  architectural  design  to-day.  }-ou 
should  know  something  of  the  histor\  that  is 
responsible  tor  these  tendencies. 

This  countr}-  was  settled  principally  by 
the  English,  the  French,  the  Dutch,  ami  the 
Spanish.  All  of  these  various  contributor} 
elements  to  the  early  population  of  the  coun- 
tr} brought  with  them  their  ideas  ami  cus- 
toms in  the  matter  of  house  building,  just  as 
they  brought  their  ideas  of  clothes  ami  cook- 
ing. 

The  early  ascendancy  of  the  p'ngli>li  in- 
fluence in  the  colonics  crowded  out  the  c-x- 
pression  of  other  nationalities  in  literatun- 
ami  art.      Of  cour>e  we  >till  have  some  colo- 


•5 


11  n:  iioNK.vr  hoise 


A  liiilc  house  at  Garden  City,  Long  Island,  thai  has  survived  many  generations  of  fashions  in  house-building. 
It  will  always  be  good, — because  it  alwa)s  was.  The  long  hand-split  shingles  are  characteristic  of  early  Long  Island 
work. 


nial  work  other  than  that  of  the  En^hsh 
coloni.sts,  such  as  the  Dutch  cohmial  houses 
about  New  York,  ant!  the  S[)anish  mission 
architecture  of  the  Southwest  and  West. 
But  by  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the 
I'nited  States,  the  domestic  architecture 
throughout  tlie  thirteen  states  was  fairh 
Geor^^ian  in  its  character.  We  call  it  C'ohi- 
nial  or  Georjjian,  but  really  it  is  Georgian 
with  a  difference,  the  difference  comin<j  from 
the  variation  caused  by  the  use  of  local  ma- 
terials, and  by  Icx-al  climatic  conditions. 

The  orif^inal  colonial  houses. — those  built, 
let  us  say,  in  the  seventeenth  century  for  the 
most  part — had  hardly  any  characteristic 
style.  They  were  built  for  shelter,  for  pro- 
tection a;:ainst  the  savapes  and  the  weather. 
Not  only  this,  but  their  simple  expression  was 
due  in  part  to  the  fact  that  building  materials 


16 


were  difficult  to  obtain.  Timber  tticre 
was  in  plent}-.  but  saw-mills  were  few,  antl 
witiiout  saw-mills  the  mechanical  labor  of 
obtaining  lumber  from  the  trees  was  enor- 
mous. 

Building  stone  was  plentiful  enough,  but 
in  man\-  |)arts  of  the  country,  as  in  New  Eng- 
land, the  common  stone,  granite,  was  re- 
stricted in  its  usefulness,  owing  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  working  it.  One  may  note  that 
whereas  New  England  is  literally  criss-crossed 
with  stone  walls,  yet  stone  houses  of  the  colo- 
nial period  are  scarce.  In  other  districts, 
notably  in  Pennsylvania,  stone  was  more  gen- 
erally used.  It  was  of  limestone  formation 
and  more  easily  worked. 

From  these  indications  you  maj'  easily  see 
how  the  architecture  of  a  country  depends 
for    its    expression    upon    the  character    of 


AMERICAN  HOUSES  AM)  THEIR  EUROPEAN  PROTOTYPES 


the     building'    materials     which     are     most 
reach  I\      tound     and     most    easily     worked. 

In  the  days  of  early  settlement  the  newl\- 
arrived  settler  copied  his  neif;hbor's  cabin. 
Most  of  these  early  houses  were  of  logs. 
The  newcomer  learned  from  the  pioneer  how 
to  notch  and  caulk  his  logs,  and  how  to 
cover  his  root.  In  New  England  the  log 
house  was  commonly  built  around  a  huge  cen- 
tral chimnc}',  since  the  climate  was  rigorous 
and  the  first  thing  to  be  looked  out  for  was 
the  provision  of  heat.  In  the  South  the 
wanner  climate  made  the  heating  of  a  house 
less  important  than  air  and  sjiace.  and  so  even 
in  these  early  days  there  were  differences  in 
the  fundamental  requirements.  As  every 
one  knows,  the  Southern  house  differs  essen- 
tially from  the  Northern  house  and  the  Cape 
Cod  cottage  differs  from  the  log  cabin.  Yet 
all  of  these  types  may  claim  to  be  native  to  a 
particular  localirx.  and  native  as  well  u> 
the  country  as  a  wliole. 

.\s  the  communif)'  grew  in  size,  the  indi- 
vidual fell  more  and  more  into  the  way  of 
specialization.  At  this  point  he  called  in  the 
carpenters  and  masons  to  do  his  house,  and 
they  copied  for  him  the  model  which  he  chose. 
It  varied  only  slightly  from  other  neighbor- 
ing e.\am[)les  which  he  might  almost  ecjuall) 
well  have  selected.  The  particular  difference 
from  others  in  the  model  of  his  choice  was 
merely  his  slight  expression  of  individualit\ 
as  exercised  in  his  own  home.  As  a  resul; 
of  this,  the  hou.ses  of  the  older  communitie> 
bear  very  striking  resemblances  to  each  otli<  r. 

With  the  multiplication  of  comnnmities 
and  of  their  respective  styles,  ex[iert  service 
in  designing  or  building  came  to  have  a 
broader  foundation.  Ir  became  nece.ssat)'  tor 
the  expert  to  be  able  to  tell  his  client  what 
was  being  done  in  dther  parts  ot  the  countr\. 


Sometimes  the  client  chase  an  example  ot 
work  that  originated  in  some  other  part  of 
the  country  than  his  own.  From  thi^  re- 
sulted a  more  or  less  general  commingling  ot 
the  styles. 

It  was  seldom  that  the  tundamental  tyi)e 
for  a  particular  place  was  altered,  and  it  w;is 
still  more  seldom  that  the  retjuirements  of  the 
individual  were  neglected.  In  tact,  tunda- 
mental types  and  requirements  of  individuals 
became  more  and  more  pronounced  as  com- 
munities grew,  and  as  various  details  of  de- 
sign and  construction  were  adopted  for  gen- 
eral use.  The  most  successful  service  was 
that  which  preserved  the  old  styles  and  sat- 
isfied the  individual   requirements,  and  this 


HKI    New    I'liKlanU. 


llli;   HONKST  IIOl'SE 

is   thr   most  suca-sstiil   service   to-day   also.  This  does  not  mean  tliat  you  will  tind  in 

I'ndoiihtrdiv  this  early  architeiture  tol-  America  exact  replicas  of  Kn-lish  buildings; 
lowed  the  national  characteristics  of  the  va-  it  is  rather  that  >..u  will  t^nd  the  spirit  of  the 
rious  ^Toups  of  colonists.  But  in  all  cas<s,  work  iiientical.  The  old  Salem  house  shown 
since  thry  were  built  in  a  country  still  sava-e  on  pa-e  19  closel)  follows  a  common  type 
ami  economically  p<K»r,  early  colonial  houses  of  English  cottage.  Its  gables  and  roofs  are 
were  characterized  by  an  extreme  simplicity,  very  true  to  the  traditions.  But  it  is  inter- 
When  a  man  feared  to  receive  an  arrow  in  pnteil  in  shingle  and  clapboard,  whereas  its 
his  back  while  he  was  shingling  his  cabin,  English  i)rototype  was  more  likel\  of  slate 
he  did  n't  waste  time  on  the  stuily  of  propor-  stucco,  or  halt-timber. 

tion,  or  the  relinements  of  design.     The  con-  This  tradition  was  continued   throughout 

ditions  nece.ssary  for  the  growth  of  the  arts  the  colonial  da}s,  and  tlure  is  no  perceptible 

were  lackin".  change  from  the  Georgian  type  of  architec- 

There  were  many  elements  of  national  feel-  ture  until  long  after  the  Revolution  had  es- 

ing  anil  aptitude  among  the  original  poinila-  tablished  the  independence  of  this  country, 

tion  (»f  the  colonies,  but  the  leisure  to  develop  Independent  politically,  the  new  country  still 

this  aptitude  was  lacking.     By  the  time  the  continued  to  draw  largely  on  England  for  its 

country  had  been  sutliciently  organized  on  literature  and  art  as  well  as  for  its  trade, 

its  «Tonomic  side  for  leisure,  the  English  colo-  It  was  not  until  after  the  War  of   1812, 

nists  belli  an  overwhelming  predominance  in  after  a  new  generation  of  native  Americans 

the  iHilitical  state.  had  grown  to  niaturiry  under  an  independent 

'I'he  English  regime  tended  to  absorb  va-  government,    that    the   break    with    English 

rious  political  and  social  groups,  and  to  ex-  tradition   appears.     The   country   had   come 

tend  its  [K)litical  influence  over  them.      It  also  doubtless  to  a  full  realization  of  its  political 

imposed  its  conception  of  architecture  upon  independence,  and  to  see  the  economic  inde- 

the  coimtry.  pendence    which    could    be    based    on    the 

At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  centur}'  enormous  national    resources.     We  see  here 

George   I  of  England  ascended  the  throne,  the  beginning  ot  our  artistic  independence, 

and  then  liegan  the  so-called  (Georgian  periixl  but  this  artistic  independence  began  with  fal- 

of   architecture.     Naturally   the   contact   of  tering  steps.     For  more  than  a  century   its 

this  country  with  F!ngland  wa.s  as  constant  as  logical  and  normal  development  was  arrested 

the  imperfections  of  ocean  traveling  would  and  deflected  by  social  and  economic  condi- 

jM-miit,  and  the  colonies  drew  from  England  tions  peculiar  to  its  history^      It  had  started 

many  artisans,  workers  in  wood  and  metal.  on  the  road  to  independence,  but  it  was,  in 

As  wealth  increased  in  the  colonies,  archi-  the  covirse  of  the  next  centur\,  to  be  nearly 

tecture  became  more  costly,  more  complicated,  smothered  by  the  very  democracy  which  had 

and  more  decorative  in  its  expression.     The  brought  it  about. 

models  u|)on  which  this  Colonial  work  were  At  the  time  of  the  break  with  England, 

ba.scd   were,   generally   speaking,   the   actual  which  became  definite  after  1812,  we  entered 

buildings  in  England  with  which  the  artisans  into  the  first  period  of  our  modern  develop- 

wer<-  finiiliar.  ment.     The    revolution    wrought    bv    steam 

18 


AMERICAN  HOUSES  AND  THEIR  El'ROPEAN  IMiOTOTYPES 


Thi-.  old  paliled  Iic.um;  ui  ^j.l:.,  M:  i  -tu^  slmuv  hcint  iti;il>  tin-  l.nglish  arcliiteciure  of  ilic  >cvciitffnih 
century,  tran>planted  in  America.  Its  gables,  its  projecting  second  story  and  its  huge  cliimne>,  can  still  be  seen  in 
the  old  English  villages,  only  the  materials,  owing  to  local  conditions,  are  somewhat  different. 


locomotion  changed  the  country  from  a  rela- 
tively compact  ^Toup  of  states  with  largely 
homogeneous  population,  into  a  great  ter- 
ritory, thinly  populated,  fiUeil  with  incred- 
ible opportunities  for  wealth.  The  huge, 
unpeopled  West  was  waiting  to  be  exploited. 
In  all  directions  expansion  began.  The 
farming  lands  of  the  Middle  West  and,  sub- 
sequently, the  discover}'  of  gold  in  California 
drew  the  emigrant   always  westward.      Im- 


migration, which  had  been  fairly  noteworthy 
up  to  then,  became  unpreicdeiitctl.  I  lie 
enormous  countr}'  lying  to  th<  wot  ot  the 
Alleghenies  began  to  be  popuhited. 

The  colonies  which  later  formed  the  orig- 
inal states  had  been  umier  Engli.>h  domina- 
tion up  to  the  time  of  the  second  war  with 
Englanii.  Tlu-  school  system,  the  scK-ial  ami 
political  regulations  were  fairly  well  detrr- 
mineil,  ami  the  stanilaril  of  literacy  anil  in- 


'9 


THK  HONKS  1    HOISK 


M: 


u 


4      \      • 


Second  floor  plan. 

trlli}:rncc  wns  fairly  hi^h.     Now   with   tlic  arts,  it  is  essential  ro  remember  two  important 

rxpansion  of  the  eoimtry  there  eame  an  in-  facts  connected  with  it.     The  tirst  is  the  ex- 

vasion  of  immigrants  from  t»thcr  countries,  tension  of  the  use  of  machinery  in  replacing 

from  CJemian)-,  from  Scandina\  ia.  and  later  hand  labor.     The  second  is  the  spread  of  the 

fr»>m   Italy.     This  new  pojnilation  had   tor  labor  unions,  to  which  we  may  accord  a  large 

the   mo->t    part    come    from   co\intries    where  share  of  responsibility  tor  the  ciecline  ot  the 

|M)Iitical   rights,  sch(H>ling  and  personal   tor-  skilled    artisan.      That    these    two    develop- 

tune  had  amounted  to  little.     On  entering  ments  have  been  a  necessary  part  of  our  eco- 

America  they  became  citizens.      The  vitality  nomic     development     will     not     be     denied. 

of  the  country   was   undoubtedly   increased.  That  the\-  have  made  for  the  destruction  of 

but  culture  went  into  a  decline,  a  decline  of  interest  in  the  arts,  and  especially  architec- 

which  the  outer  expression  is  shown  in  the  ture,  is  just  as  strongly  affirmed. 

depths  of  the  artistic  horrors  of  187 >.  One  seeks  for  an  explanation  of  rlie  uni- 

In  taking  account  of  this  eclipse  of  the  torm  attractiveness  of  Colonial  work:  rlie  ab- 


Fir»t  floor  plan. 
House  of  William  J.  Henry,  Scarsdale,  New  York. 
20 


AMERICAX  HOUSES  AM)    IHKIR   Kr  HOP  KAN    I'lU)  rfVr^l'KS 


1  raiikli[i    1*.    IlainiiiuiiJ,    vVrcliitcct. 
The  W  illiam  J.   Henry   house  at  Scarsclale,   New   York,   is   a    fine   mcKlcrn    expression   of   lalc   Colonial    work    al    its 
best.     It  is  hwilt  of  tapestry  brick,   red   in  color,  with  good   variations.     Note   especially    the    proportions   of   the   curved 
porch   and   the  graceful   dormer   windows. 


sence  of  vulgarit}  ;  the  e.\(]iiisite  .sense  of 
j)ro[)ortion — tiiialitics  .so  often  lackinj^  in 
modern  work.  Often  one  hears  the  que.s- 
tion:  \\'li()  were  the  real  (lesi{.;ners  of  the 
Colonial  architecture^  Perhaps  the  best  an- 
swer to  be  pven  is  to  be  found  in  "Colonial 
Architecture  for  Those  About  to  Build"  b\ 
Herbert  C.  Wise  anti  H.  Ferdinand  Beidle- 
nian. 

'W  ho  were  the  real  desij^iers  of  tlie  Co- 
lonial monuments^  It  is  ditlicult  to  con- 
ceive ot  a  doctor  drawing  the  design  for 
Christ  C  luirili.  or  a  law\cr  and  Spcikcr  ot 
the  As.senibly  that  of  the  State  House.  A 
knowletl^e  of  architecture  bein^  then  con-^id- 


ered  part  of  every  pentleman's  culture,  how- 
ever, it  is  easy  to  picture  the.se  leading:  nun 
of  the  coninuinity  in  the  role  of  connois.seurs, 
having'  drawings  made  under  their  j^uidance 
by  others;  and  after  so  doinj;.  |)roducinji  or 
>ubmittin^  the  desij^n  at  the  official  meet- 
in<is  where  a  course  of  procetiure  was  tt)  be 
tietermined.  'liie  names  of  those  other  per- 
sons \\  ho  actual! \  hamlleil  the  T-siiuare  ami 
trian;,'li'  arc  lost  in  obscurity. 

"We  believe  them  to  be  the  m»)re  intelli- 
;:ent  ( arpenters  of  the  time,  some  of  the  men 
who  baniietl  themselves  tof;eth«r.  as  we  have 
seen,  'to  obtain  instruction  in  the  science  of 
architecture."      It    was    such    a   motive    that 


'nil.  iioM^i  iKU  si: 


luailr  the  Colonial  canwntrr  :i  tliinkiii^;  l>i - 
inj:,  tliat  aiKlnl  stMiu-  ability  at  cirawin;:  to 
his  nWiII  to  i-on.strmt.  His  diviiicrs  labor- 
ioiLsly  transirilxil  flu-  jjroportions  ot  \i- 
tnivins,  SiTli«)  ami  Stanioz/i  troiii  the  al- 
burns <it  riassic  torins.  A  tVw  olil  Enf^lish 
w(»rks  on  arihitntiirr  wtrc  also  his  compan- 
ions. ()n«-  t»t  the  most  valiuil  of  these  was 
Batty  Lanjjley's  "BuiUler's  Director  or  Brncli- 
Mate,"  which  th«-  title-pa^'e  announced  as  a 
'[KH-ket  treasury  ot  the  (ireek,  Roman,  and 
(iothic  Orders  of  Architecture  made  exsy  to 
the  meanest  capacit}  by  near  ^oo  examples, 
improved  from  the  best  Authors  ancient  and 
modem.'  There  were  also  the  four  books  ot 
I'allailio,  esteemed  by  Kn^lishmen  and  por- 
trajrd  b)-  Isaac  \\'are  and  others.  We  can 
imapne  the  Colonial  carpenter  conceiving  a 
pro|»osed  building'  with  Sir  William  Cham- 
bers" time-honoreil  work  open  before  him, 
referrin;;  also  to  the  desijjns  of  Sir  Christo- 
pher Wren.  James  GibKs,  Vanbru^h,  and 
.Sir  RolxTt  Taylor.  We  can  picture  him 
zealously  striving;  to  do  what  the  Brothers 
.\dam  were  simultaneously  essayinj;  in  Eng- 
land: 'To  catch  the  beautiful  spirit  of  an- 
ti<|uity  and  infuse  it  with  novelty  and  va- 
riety.' This  meant  translating  into  wood 
many  ot  the  torms  originally  conceived  for 
stone.  In  the  process  it  was  Imr  natural, — 
it  was  necessan,-  indeed, — to  attenuate  tin- 
antique  proportions.  By  such  an  avenue 
there  arrived  the  invention  and  freedom  of 
Colonial  architecture,  that  true  novelty  that 
sacrificed  neither  beauty  nor  dipiity.  The 
public  did  not  demand  orif^inalitv.     \\'hat 


wa.-<  proiur  was  acceptable.  Of  all  mechan- 
ics occujiied  with  buildinj^,  the  fj;reatest  j^en- 
eral  knowledt;e  of  all  crafts,  in  addition  to 
special  knowledge  of  his  own,  resided  with 
the  carpenter.  Add  a  practical  knowietlge 
(if  working  in  the  three  dimensions  to  famil- 
iarity with  the  graphic  forms  in  books,  and 
the  possessor  was  quite  in  tlic  position  to  be- 
lome  the  architect  ot  an  earlier  (.lay." 

In  a  brief  summary,  the  history  of  culture 
in  this  country  is  largely  this: — weak  in 
the  beginning,  it  developed  early  a  quasi- 
English  character.  Its  dependence  on  Eng- 
land was  overthrown,  along  with  political 
dependence,  and  it  was  finally  overwhelmed 
b)  the  expansion  of  the  country,  and  the  in- 
flux of  people  of  alien  thought  and  speech 
who  came  to  this  countr}'  in  the  search  ot 
wealth  and  freedom.  The  introduction  of 
machinery  and  the  subsequent  disappearance 
of  skilled  hand  labor  completed  the  unfor- 
tunate situation. 

To-day  we  have  at  our  hands  scores  of  ma- 
terials to  use  in  building,  we  have  hundreds 
of  appliances  to  make  our  living  conditions 
better.  Our  c  >ntact  is  no  longer  with  one 
country.  En  .and  is  no  longer  the  fountain 
head.  We  <raw  from  all  the  world.  Our 
architecture  is  English  and  French  and  Span- 
ish and  Italian.  It  will  never  be  American 
until  the  home  builder  accords  to  the  arclii- 
tect  a  jiosition  of  responsibility  at  least  as 
great  as  that  which  he  gives  to  his  tailor,  and 
until  he  insists  that  the  architect  shall  have 
been  trained  before  he  {practises  his  profes- 
sion. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  PRACTICAL  PROBLEM  OF  HOUSE   BlILDLNG 


THE  people  who  inherit  ready  made 
houses  and  acres  never  taste  the 
finest  joys  of  home-making.  The 
dreams  that  come  when  }ou  have  finally  de- 
cided to  go  ahead  and  buy  a  little  land  and 
build  a  house  upon  it  are  the  most  enchanting 
dreams  you  will  ever  enjoj-.  Anything  is 
possible,  in  this  golden  period.  You  can  de- 
cide to  bu}'  a  hillside  site  with  a  view,  ami 
build  your  house  to  fit  the  site.  Ten  minutes 
later  a  valley  site  with  a  brook  seems  more 
desirable.  You  remember  an  old  house  in 
your  scrap  book  that  puts  an  end  to  both  hill- 
side and  valley,  and  so  the  dreams  and  plans 
change  again  and  merge  and  change  again, 
and  there  are  so  many  possible  selections — 
sites,  and  styles,  and  materials,  anil  rolor. 
How  are  }'ou  (•\cr  to  tiiid  the  lionic  that  will 
be  peculiarly  your  ownV 

It  seemed  so  easy,  before  jou  hat!  money 
enough  to  go  ahead.  You  had  a  site  securely 
fixed  in  your  imagination, — its  picturesque- 
ness  was  fi.xetl.  Its  boundaries  were  vague. 
tmreal,  elastic  enough  to  accommodate  any 
of  the  houses  you  tlreamed.  There  was 
the  placid  old  \'irginia  hou.se  that  had  all  the 


lure  of  famil}-  and  ancestry.  There  was  a 
little  Japanese  cottage  built  among  the  beach 
grasses  ot  Long  Island.  There  was  a  timber 
and  plaster  house  }ou  saw  once  in  Kent,  a 
thatched  roofed  Tudor  cottage  covered  with 
ivy  and  roses  that  seemed  the  ab.solute  fulfil- 
ment ot  }our  ideal.  There  was  a  wondrous 
rambling  Spanish  house  near  the  City  of 
Mexico  with  a  looped  roof  line  that  held  you 
enthralled.  There  w;is  a  gray  shingle  farm- 
house in  the  Connecticut  hills  with  a  stone 
wall  and  an  upph-  orchard.  There  wa>  a 
little  nnishrtxim  ot  a  hou.se  on  a  Massachu- 
setts hillside,  anil  a  little  octagonal  California 
house  built  on  the  sea — there  were  do/ens  of 
delectable  houses.  It  seemed  so  easy  to 
choose  one  and  make  it  your  own.  .Ml  that 
worried  you  was  the  wherewithal  to  reali/e 
the  chosen  house. 

The  trouble  is,  when  you  see  a  house  that 
()leases  you,  you  .see  it  as  a  part  of  its  entour- 
age, "^'ou  see  the  hedges  and  the  shrubs  and 
the  flowers  that  have  taken  so  long  to  grow. 
\\'hin  \i)u  go  about  building  y(»ur  own  house 
you  will  have  to  separate  all  the  things  that 
another  man  has  done  tor  his  house  trom  the 


23 


IHi:  HONEST  HOUSE 


"\Vr»lovcr"  on  the  Jaiiic»  River,  in  Virninia.  is  a  placiil  old  house  that  has  all  the  lure  ot  family  and  romance. 
Il  i»  really  (ieorcian  in  character,  though  we  commonly  call  it  Colonial.  Note  its  extreme  simplicity.  Its  air  of  ele- 
Kincr  comes  from  its  exquisite  proportions. 


ht)iis«"  itsclt.  ^ Oil  will  li;i\f  to  buy  an  undc- 
vfl()|Md  sitr,  and  .ste  the  litter  ot  biiiKlinj:  tor 
I(in;^  months  before  }  ou  can  see  any  chance  of 
beauty.  And  this  is  a  bitter  pill  to  swallow. 
The  chances  are  that  all  the  houses  that 
plea.^ed  )oii  hail  been  <irowin<;  for  years,  that 
the  land  was  lx)ii;;ht  when  land  was  available 
at  low  prices  And  btiildin^  materials  cost 
little.  When  }(>ii  are  forcetl  to  compromise 
on  your  site,  forced  to  give  up  the  brook  and 
the  vista  for  a  small  recta^onal  lot  with  a  few 
trees  on  it,  you  feel  that  there  is  no  lij:ht 
ahead.  \o\\  have  to  give  up  your  daily 
dream  of  picturcsqueness  and  put  in  your 
waking  hours  consiilering  the  practical  |)rob- 
Icms  of  accessibility,  and  drainage,  and  ex- 
pense, and  neighbors,  and  water  sup[)ly. 
These  things  must  be  settled  before  you  can 
buy  your  site  and  go  ahead  with  your  plans. 

The  consideration  of  neighbors  is  im- 
portant, but  may  be  made  too  much  so. 
You  will  be  a  neighbor  yourself,  remember. 


aiul  \(>u  can"t  dtniaml  an\  more  of  your 
neighbors  than  \()u  give  them.  They  got 
there  tirst.  If  }ou  would  know  who  is  a 
good  neighbor,  look  to  the  parable — it  was  a 
Samaritan  in  that  case.  Your  neighbors  may 
be  closer  than  }()u  like,  but  there  are 
other  elements  beside  the  neighbor  necessary 
to  a  good  neighborhood.  The  school,  the 
playground,  the  railroad  station,  the  prevail- 
ing breezes,  and  the  various  kinds  of  public 
service — water,  gas,  electricit}'.  telephone, 
and  sewer — are  of  great  importance. 

It  is  far  wiser  to  buy  enough  land  for  com- 
fort, and  to  wait  a  year  to  build  }0ur  house, 
than  to  economize  on  your  site  and  regret 
later  that  it  cannot  be  ex[)anded.  If  the  site 
is  to  be  in  a  .section  largely  built  upon,  or 
divided  into  lots  for  building  purposes,  it  is 
better  to  buy  two  lots  and  afford  only  a  tent, 
than  to  buy  one.  build  a  house,  and  always 
look.  feel,  and  be  cramped.  A  house  can  be 
enlarged.     A  lot  cannot.     If  }ou  expect  to 


24 


THE  PRACTICAL  PROBLEM  Ol    HOUSE  BlILDINC, 


have  an  automobile  later,  when  you  prosper, 
plan  it  in  the  be<;innin<;.  Leave  room  tor  it 
on  the  site,  and  be  sure  of  an  adequate  ap- 
proach, lest  later  \()u  tind  it  an  impossibil- 
it}-. 

Some  people  I  know,  who  were  tired  of  liv- 
ing in  a  New  "\'ork;  ajiartment,  bought  a  large 
lot  on  the  toj)  of  a  wooded  hill  on  Staten 
Island.  They  were  not  ready  to  build  their 
house,  but  they  built  a  garage  big  enough  to 
house  them  comfortabl)-.  Some  da\-  there 
will  be  a  house  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and 
later  there  will  be  an  automobile.  In  the 
meantime  they  live  in  perfect  comfort  in  the 
garage,  and  plant  lowers  and  vines  and  fruit 
trees  for  the  years  to  come.  A  little  vineyard 
is  already  growing  on  the  sunns  siilc  of  the 
hill.  This  is  an  infinitely  better  plan  than 
buying  a  small  lot  and  building  a  small  house 
would  have  been. 

It  }()vi  are  to  build  in  the  real  counrr\-  the 
consideration  ot  view  is  important,  but  if  \  our 
lot  is  to  be  one  of  hundreds  in  a  suburb  or  a 
small  town  there  are  more  important  consid- 
erations. Many  people  go  into  a  new  house 
and  say.  "But  there  is  no  view!"  In  a 
little  while,  when  they  have  lived  in  the 
house  a  few  weeks,  the  view  is  forgotten.     .\ 


pleasant  and  interesting  foregroimd  is  of 
much  greater  moment  twelve  months  in  the 
}ear  than  the  sight  of  a  di.stant  landscape. 

As  far  as  toi)ogra|)hy  is  concerned,  a  level 
lot  is  always  capable  of  excellent  treatnunr. 
A  lot  sloping  down  from  the  street  gives  the 
advantage  of  large  cellar  windows  at  tlie 
back,  and  a  door  instead  of  a  bulkhead.  \ 
small  lot  sloping  down  toward  the  street  is 
usually  disadvantageous.  Such  a  lot  can  be 
made  \xr\-  attractixc  to  the  eye,  however,  b\- 
a  good  architect. 

Erom  a  stand|)oint  of  picturesqueness,  the 
more  irregular  the  lot,  the  better.  .\ny  in- 
teresting features — rocLs,  trees,  a  precipitate 
slope — can  be  turned  to  advantage  b)-  the 
anhitect.  But  building  a  house  to  fit  an 
irregular  site  is  obviously  more  expensive 
than  building  a  house  on  a  flat  site.  The 
questions  of  retaining  walls  and  excavations 
must  be  considered. 

The  position  of  the  house  in  relation  to  the 
points  of  the  com|)ass  nnist  also  be  reckoned 
with.  \'ery  often  it  occurs  that  the  view  you 
want  to  get  is  to  the  north,  and  that  is  un- 
fortunate, because  your  living  rooms  have  to 
be  to  the  north,  which  means  the\-  are  harder 
to  heat  in  winter.      If  possible  you  should  ar- 


~'K»C-, 


.\    ramblinR   Enpilish   house   th.it   o\vr<   miirli   of   its   |>icttirr«|iifnMS  to  its  ihalrhcil   roof,   in  large  wall  spam,  and 
itf  surrounding  hedge  and  shrubbery. 

25 


THF.  HONKST  HOISE 


Rohert   R.   McGoodwin,  Architect. 
A    pleasant    forcKround    is   of    much    greater    moment    than   a   distant    landscape.     The   difficulties   of   the   irregular 
site   of    Mr.    McGoodwin's   house   at   St.   Martins,    Philadelphia,   have  been  overcome  attractively  by  the  use  of  stone 
walls. 


range  your  house  so  that  you  can  get  the  liv- 
ing-rooms on  the  southern  exposure,  and 
where  this  cannot  be  done  some  kind  of  sun 
parlor  or  porch  .shoulil  be  arranged  on  the 
side  of  the  hou.se  that  will  be  most  accessible. 
A  south  ex|K>sure  gets  little  or  no  sun  on 
the  longest  summer  days.  A  north  exposure 
gets  the  early  and  late  s»m,  the  east  ami 
west  the  forenoon  and  afternoon  sun,  but 
the  south  receives  none,  as  the  sun  passes 
through  a  point  near  the  zenith  rising  north 
of  east  and  setting  north  of  west.  The  south 
for  the  living-room,  therefore,  gives  warmth 
in  winter  and  comfort  in  summer.     The  ideal 


orientation  for  the  dining-room  is  southeast. 
When  you  have  finally  chosen  the  site  of 
)our  house,  real  work  begins.  The  selection 
of  the  site  was  not  such  a  difficult  problem 
after  all.  It  resolved  itself  into  a  matter 
of  getting  as  much  land  as  po.ssible  within 
reasonable  distance  of  your  business.  But 
the  house  I  Now  come  the  real  inde- 
cisions, the  tempting  comparisons,  the  ago- 
nizing necessity  of  selecting  one  thing  from 
a  number  of  others.  You  know  by  now 
that  )ou  can  never  realize  the  full  meas- 
ure of  your  ideal  house:  you  have  al- 
ready compromised  in  buying  the  site.     Now 


26 


THE  PRACTICAL  PROBLEM  OF  HOUSE  BLTLDLNG 


moments  of  despair  will  distress  you,  but 
you  are  still  in  the  golden  j)eriod.  You 
are  still  the  potential  builder  of  a  house  that 
will  be  a  real  home  for  your  taiiiil},  aiul  that 
is  a  very  tine  acconifilishmenr,  no  matter  how 
much  you  maj-  have  to  compromise. 

What  kind  of  house  are  you  to  build "^ 
You  nia_\  have  a  large  famil_\-  or  a  siiiall  one. 
You  may  need  a  house  with  four  rooms,  or 
twelve.  You  may  need  a  nurser}',  a  librar}, 
a  workroom,  an  office,  a  billiard-room  or 
other  s[)ecial  rooms,  or  combinations  of  some 
ot  these  rooms  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
likings  and  needs  of  your  family.  Sonu-  of 
the  members  of  }our  taniih'  ma\'  have  ver\' 
decided  likes  and  dislikes  which  may  modify 
your  [)roblem  greatly.  The  si/e  of  the  house, 
the  style  of  architecture,  wturlur  it  is  to  be 
a  two  story  house,  a  bimgalow,  a  house  with 
slee[Mng  porches,  a  house  without  porches — 
all  these  arc  special  conditions  to  he  dealt 
with. 

There  is  a  common  fallac\-  that  if  a  man 


ZENITH 


■''-., 


L  in* 


This  diagram  >ilin\vs  a  liuusc  facing  south,  and  it>  rela- 
tion lo  the  Mm'si  course. 


has  a  section  of  land  on  which  to  build  a 
house,  and  money  enough  to  build  it,  he  has 
only  to  go  to  an  architect  and  turn  it  over 
to  him,  and  to-morrow  a  plan  will  be  per- 
fected. "Plan  a  good  house  for  me,"  the 
patron  says.  "I  can  spend  ten  thousantl  dol- 
lars." And  if  the  architect  seems  a  little  dis- 
ma\ed.  the  client  thinks  he  does  n't  know  his 
business. 

The  only  way  to  go  about  the  xi  lou.s  busi- 
ness of  planning  a  house  is  to  present  to  the 
architect  a  list  of  your  requirements.  You 
may  formulate  your  own  plan,  or  he  will  do  it 
for  you.  given  plenty  of  time  and  intelligent 
co-operation.  Whether  you  are  going  to 
build  a  new  house  or  alter  an  old  one,  first 
of  all  you  must  consider  carefully  your  family 
needs. 

Out  of  all  these  many  possibilities,  there  is 
one  certaint)-  which  appears.  Before  you  cm 
bc(jin  building,  you  must  kno'j:  what  you 
"d:ant — that  is,  what  your  practical  means  dic- 
tate as  the  necessary  practical  conditions  that 
}()ur  house  shall  fulfil.  In  other  words,  you 
must  establish  a  program.  The  more  clearly 
}()u  can  decide  upon  what  you  absolutely  do 
need  the  simpler  the  solution  of  your  problem 
will  become. 

Suppose  )ou  have  decided  upon  the  num- 
ber of  rooms  and  the  general  requirements  of 
} our  house.  Let  us  suppose  that  \«)ur  family 
consists  of  hve  peojile,  and  that  )'ou  wish  to 
keep  one  servant.  ^ Ou  feel  \ ou  need  tor  your 
house  these  simple  requirements: 

On  the  first  fI<K)r  a  living-room,  dining-rtxim 
and  kitchen,  with  jiantry  ami  ser\  ice  ile|)end- 
encies.  On  the  sect)nii  fliHir,  three  beilriHims, 
a  nursery  and  two  baths.  .\nd.  either  in  a 
wing,  or  in  a  third  story,  a  s«'rvant's  nnim 
and  attic.  This  is  a  brief  statement  of  the 
common  retjtiirements  of  home  builder^. 


nil:  HONKST  HorsE 


So  tar,  so  ^(mkI.  But  how  larj;c  arc  tlusc 
nxMiis  to  bcV  Obviously,  this  ilfpt-mis  on 
two  thinj^s.  'I'hfir  si/r  is  limited  by  the  si/e 
ot  the  house,  and  this  in  turn  is  limited  by 
what  \t)u  lan  afford  to  spend.  Here  we 
lomr  to  one  ot  the  eruiial  problems  wiiieh 
uHitronfs  }()u:  how  much  can  you  atForil  to 
sjK-nil  tor  jour  house? 

Let  us  see  it  we  cannot  arrive  at  an  answer 
indir<rtly.  t'on.-ider  the  houses  in  your 
neij;hborh(H>d.  Select  one  which  pleases  \<)u 
most  in  jjenj-ral  m;iss  and  size,  materials  and 
finish.  l-"inil  out  what  this  house  cost  to 
build. 

Let  us  su|){M>se  it  cost  $;,000.00.  Fijiiire 
roufjhly  the  cubic  contents  of  this  house. 
This  can  be  don<-  very  easily.  L<'t  us  su|>- 
jxisc  that  the  hou.se  in  (juestion  contains 
2  vOOO  cubic  teet.  Then,  obviously,  the  cost 
\H-T  cubic  t<Hit  is  20  cents.  Now,  it  vou  have 
$4,000.00  to  spend,  you  can  have  a  house  the 
cubic  contents  ot  which  is  about  20,000  cubic 
feet.  In  other  words,  the  dimensions  ot  }()ur 
hou.se  mij^ht  be  appro.ximatcly  2^  teet  wide 
by  40  feet  lonp  by  20  teet  hij^h,  or  it  mi^ht 
b«'  ^o  feet  lonp  by  20  feet  wide  by  20  feet 
hi;:h.  or  whatever  dimensions  would  give  ap- 
proximately 20,000  cubic  feet. 

The  picture  on  page  29  will  help  explain 
how  to  hnd  the  cubic  contents  of  a  house. 
This  house  consists  of  two  parts: — the  main 
[xirtion.  anil  the  porch  attacheel  to  it.  We 
assume  that  the  cellar  goes  under  the  whole 
house,  excepting  the  porch.  The  contents 
of  the  house  imiler  the  main  roof  from  the 
comic<"  line  to  the  ridge,  as  the  section 
shows,  is  equal  to  the  width  of  the  house 
times  its  length,  times  one-half  the  altitude 
of  the  roof,  this  being  the  volume  of  a  prism. 
It  is  equal  to  21'  fV  ■  24'  o"  X  5'  6"  = 
2,8'^8  cubic  f'<  r     The  contents  of  the  re- 


maining j>()rfion  of  the  main  block  of  the 
lu)u.>e  is  ec]ual  to  its  height  times  its  length, 
times  its  wiilth.  It  is  equal  to  17'  o"  X 
24'  o"  X  21'  6"  =  8,772  cubic  feet.  Ad- 
»ling  these  we  get  a  total  of  11,610  cubic 
feet.  Calculating  the  contJ'nts  of  the  porch 
similar!}-  we  get  about  1.0^0  cubic  feet. 
Now,  since  the  porch  is  not  finished  like  the 
interior  of  the  house,  and  since  it  has  no  cel- 
lar underneath  it.  we  mav'  count  its  contents 
as  onh  a  third  of  what  it  actually  is.  This 
rule  follows  |)ractirai  usage  anil  will  be 
found  to  be  fairly  correct.  Counting  the  con- 
tents of  the  porch  as  3^0  cubic  feet,  and  ad- 
ding it  to  the  i)revious  figure,  we  have  tor  the 
total  contents  of  the  house,  1 1,960  cubic  feet. 
If  the  house  is  to  co.st  20  cents  per  cubic 
foot,  which  is  the  price  your  neighbor  paid 
for  his  house,  then  the  approximate  cost  of 
the  little  house  at  the  to[)  of  page  29  would 
be  $2,392.00.  There  I  It  is  n't  so  very  dif- 
ficult to  find  what  a  house  should  cost,  is 
if? 

"^'ou  can  repeat  this  calculation  in  refer- 
ence to  other  hou.ses  in  }our  neighborhood 
which  differ  in  materials  and  finish  from  the 
house  you  have  just  considered,  and  in  this 
way  you  can  arrive  with  fair  accuracy  at  the 
size  of  the  house  and  general  type  of  ma- 
terial and  finish  which  the  money'  you  have  to 
spend  will  enable  aou  to  get.  You  might 
calculate  the  price  per  .square  foot,  but  this 
method  is  tar  less  accurate. 

This  gives  you  a  better  idea  of  building 
costs  in  vour  own  neighborhood  than  any 
table  of  costs,  but  you  cannot  go  ahead  on 
this  rough  basis  of  estimate.  You  must  also 
decide  on  the  materials  you  wish  to  employ, 
and  the  way  in  which  you  wish  ^()u^  house 
to  be  finished.  The  cost  of  the  house  will 
be  proiwrtioned  to  its  size,  its  materials,  the 


28 


THE  PRACTICAL  PROBLEM  OF  HOUSE  BllLDLNG 


.". 


'WSUE 


.^^. 


1  J  -A  'BJcr-^WTg 


•   ^  ■■'  ■  F/^^T  Floo^  FZ,AyV- 


\Scy)LE. : 


"Ilinv   imicli   will   a   liim^f  like  this  cost?"     See  page  28. 


cost  ot  lalior  and  its  cxrcllcnrc  ot  ticrail. 
A  hriik  liouse  costs  nioic  than  a  wooilcn 
one,  liccause  bricks  are  more  expensive  rlian 
wood.  A  house  faced  with  tapestry  l^ricW 
costs  still  more,  because  tapc^tr)  brick  is 
more    expensive     than     the    ortlinarx     kind. 


Similarly,  the  success  of  a  house  may  de- 
pent!  a>  muih  on  the  seeminj^l}  unim|>ortanr 
details  ot  hardware  as  upon  tlie  use  ot  the 
materials  selected.  I  have  known  many  de- 
li^'httul  small  houses  that  owed  much  ot  their 
charm  to  the  excellence  ot  their  shutters,  their 
Two  stucco  h()u>es  built  from  the  .--ame  |)lan  ironwork,  hinges,  and  so  torth.  Vou  can 
may  be  extraordinarily  unlike,  because  one  spend  a  fortune  on  such  tascinatin;;  lietails 
has  been  done  by  an  uninrellifj;ent  builder  and  preserve  the  modesty  ot  a  siuall  house — 
and  has  the  general  effect  of  thin  gra\  card-  if  you  have  the  fortune.  So  decide  just  how 
board,  and  the  oriu  i'  has  b(cn  rmi>luil  In  an  important  these  thing>  ar<-,  betorc  \<iu  tl«Tide 
artist,  with  a  plaster  of  a  |)leasantly  rough  on  the  materials  ot  which  \ou  will  buihl 
texture.      It    \(>u    wish    the    best    results,    be      your  iiouse. 

jireparcd  to  pa)    for  them.  A  great  ileal  is  said  about  tl>e  usual  increase 

^9 


Tin;  iioM.sr  iiorsK 


over  the  cstimatril  tost,  ^^'hy  shoiiUI  tin- 
anhittrt  b«-  blamrd  tor  tliisV  \ou  should 
lx)ast  ot  it,  tor  it  is  simply  an  index  to  the 
j,'row th  ot  jour  ronirjition  ot  what  a  h«nise 
sht)ulil  Im\  diirin-;  tht-  [iroj^rcss  of  construi- 
fi»>n.  No  one  with  an  alert  mind  can  tail  to 
hvome  immensely  eiluiated  durin;:  this  ex- 
jMrienie,  ami  the  results  ot  this  education  are 
lx)und  to  show  in  the  increased  cost. 

The  only  way  you  can  avoid  making:; 
chan;;es  in  \our  orij,'inal  plans  is  to  run  away 
from  your  house  while  it  is  buildinj^.  Go 
ahroail,  and  no  extras  will  be  incurred. 

\N  lien  you  have  worked  over  your  practical 
li\in^  re«|uirements;  when  you  know  approxi- 
inat«l\  how  Iari;e  \»)ur  house  is  to  be,  \our 
program  is  still  incomplete.  You  do  not  yet 
know  what  sha[)e  the  house  will  have, 
whether  it  is  to  be  long,  or  short,  or  L  shaped, 
or  a  hi-^h  house,  or  a  low  one.  This  will  he 
ilecitled  largely  by  the  site  you  have  chosen. 
The  relation  ot  house  and  site  is  usuall\  not 
enough  apjircciated.  You  may  have  gone  on 
the  assumption  that  you  can  design  your  house 
ami  tit  it  to  any  site  you  please. 

The  earlier  .American  houses  that  we  all 
admire  so  nuich  were  practically  free  from 


the  considerations  that  }ou  have  to  face. 
You  have  to  work  ten  times  as  hard  to  get 
a  simple  effect,  because  your  problem  is  so 
much  bound  b}-  limitations.  You  don't  own 
all  out-iloors;  you  arc  fortunate  if  you  have 
bought  an  ordinary  building  lot,  that  pathetic 
modern  p/i'd-j-tcrrc  that  takes  the  place  of 
your  grandfather's  great  estate. 

If  \()ur  land  is  Hat  and  your  property  is 
indefinitely  extended  you  can  put  your  house 
an)where,  and  }ou  do  not  have  to  wort)' 
about  special  conditions,  such  as  expensive 
foundations  which  result  from  the  differences 
of  grades,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  But 
few  of  us  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  extended 
lands  on  which  to  build. 

As  to  the  kind  of  house  you  will  build  on 
your  chosen  site,  you  will  have  to  decide  first 
between  a  high  house  and  a  low  house.  A 
high  house  is  usually  less  expensive  than  a 
low  one,  but  it  is  almost  never  so  satisfactory. 
If  you  have  to  build  in  a  depression,  a  hollow, 
it  is  permissible  to  put  up  a  higher  house  than 
otherwise,  but  in  general  a  high  house  is  un- 
attractive. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
English  ami  the  French,  geographically  .so 
close  to  each  other,  have  totally  different  con- 


H  D  LL 


Dmma 
■Loom- 


First   floor  plan. 


/    H      t-    r        ^      *"■  X  /CM/: 


CH/tmcL, 


House  for  Mr.  Eugene  J.  Lang,  Scarsdalc,  New  York, 
30 


Second  floor  plan. 


THE  PRACTICAL  1MU)BLKM   ()1     HOISK  HI  II  DINCf 


In    Mr.    Lang's    house    at    ScarsJale,    New    ^'()rk,    broail 
under    tlic    Inng    roof,    anil    llie    };cneral    horizontal    expression 

ceptions  of  domestic  an-hitcctiire.  M<)ii(  in 
English  houses  are  usually  low-lying  ami 
pleasing,  rising  our  of  the  ground  as  it  they 
grew,  while  the  houses  ot  France  are  often 
high  and  stilted  in  appearance. 

When  you  have  located  the  position  ot 
your  house  approximately  on  your  lot  so  that 
it  fulfils  to  the  best  advantage  all  the  jirac- 
tical  t'onsitlerations  ahoxc  nanictl.  \()u  ha\i- 
fultillfd  the  important  ste[)s  preliminary  to 
the  program  n<-crssar\  in  liiiiKfing  \()ur  hou>e. 


Eugene  J.  Lang,  Architect, 
clapboards  are  employed.  The  placing  of  ihc  windows 
of  all   the  details,  gives  the  house  a   low-lying  quality. 

^()ll  ha\e  Kmsidered  the  living  requirements, 
the  cost,  anil  the  si/.e  of  the  house  you  wisli 
to  build. 

In  all  these  matters  it  i>  well  to  take  the 
advice  ot  a  comjictent  architect,  but  it  his 
services  are  too  ditlicult  to  obtain,  in  follow- 
ing this  program  you  will  have  gone  through 
the  very  steps  that  the  architect  him.'-elt 
wouUI  go  through  it  he  were  handling  the 
work.  By  well  considering  your  problem  at 
the  >rart  \()u  will  avoid  painful  errors  lateron. 


V 


rm:  honks i  hoise 


The  Vanderbilt  Gate  Lodge,  Deepdale,  Long  Island. 

3^ 


Jolin   Ru>>ell   Pope,   Architect. 


W^^^lne^Kfi^ 


;-:?« 


'■^Hi6'/ 


CHArTEK  \' 


THE  \EXATIOUS  iMATTERS  OF  PROPORTION  AND  BALANCE 


WHAT  do  we  mean  when  we  sa\' 
that  a  thing  is  out  of  pro{)or- 
tion"?  No  expression  is  more  fa- 
miliar. Yet,  if  any  of  us  were  pinned  down 
to  detine  zc/ty  it  is  out  of  proportion,  we 
would  tind,  on  reflection,  that  it  is  so  because 
it  does  not  conform  to  some  standard.  \\'e 
judge  everything  by  a  standard.  When  we 
coniplain  that  our  dail}  bread  isn't  like  that 
made  by  our  maternal  ancestor,  we  are  re- 
ferring to  a  standard.  If  we  see  a  man 
whose  legs  anci  arms  are  very  long,  we  say  he 
is  badly  i)roportioned.  Yes,  but  we  tlo  not 
criticize  the  length  of  arms  and  legs  in  a 
gorilla.  Length  belongs  there.  W'e  have 
different  standards  of  proportion  tor  men  and 
gorillas. 

You  could  go  further;  even  in  rlic  differ- 
ent types  of  mankind,  we  make  classitica- 
tions.     We  do  nor  iudLre  rtic  beaut\'  ot  the 


Chinese  woman  by  the  Caucasian  standard. 
So  in  the  infinite  variety  of  the  forms  and 
colors  and  materials  with  which  the  arts  deal, 
we  make  the  same  distinctions;  we  classify 
things  and  we  judge  them  according  to  a 
standard.  This  standard,  in  every  case,  is 
what  we  call  our  sense  ot  proportion. 

In  architecture  we  have  been  taught  that 
the  classic  orders  have  certain  proportions. 
The  height  of  the  column,  tor  e.xample,  is 
given  in  temis  of  its  diameter,  and  variations 
from  the  accepted  rule  usually  arc  condemned 
on  the  ground  that  their  proportions  are  not 
good.  The  Corinthian  column,  such  as  that 
shown  in  the  Salem  house  on  page  ^4,  is  ten 
diameters  high.  It  has  the  classic  propor- 
tions. No  one  will  den\  that  a  column  .so 
projiortioned  is  attractive. 

Contrast  this  column  with  that  shown  on 
page    ^v      Examine  the  two.     Tiie  propor- 


FirM   aiut   second   fl<ior   plans  of  tht   V.incler- 
bili   LoiIkc. 


33 


nil     IIONKST  HOl'SE 


^la 


Phtiln^:raph    b>     Frank    C'ou^i^^. 

'I'lii»  detail  of  a  cliarmiii);  old  Salem  portico  is  full  of 
the  Krace  of  the  liCAt  Colonial  work.  It  adheres  closely 
to  the  classic  tradition. 


tions  of  the  latter  column  are  such  that  the 
trained  architect  would  say  unhesitatingly 
that  it  is  ugly. 


tiie  Henr\  house  columns  are  well  propor- 
tioned. Like  those  of  the  Salem  house,  they 
;ire  beautiful,  ami  yer  tlie  proportions  are  dif- 
ferent. ^^'hat  does  this  mean'?  Is  n't  there 
any  sucii  thing  as  proportion"?  If  the  cor- 
rect proportion  of  .so  common  a  thing  as  a 
colunm  is  in  doubt,  can  we  have  an\-  canon 
of  proportion  for  an}-  of  the  forms  of  archi- 
tectural design  and  composition"?  Is  there 
then  no  standard  to  which  we  may  con- 
form"? 

The  answer  is  that  [iroportion  is  ami  al- 
ways must  be  an  individual  matter,  varying 
continually  with  the  development  of  the 
mind  of  the  individual.  Like  good  taste,  it 
is  a  chimera.  At  the  merest  attempt  to  de- 
hne  it  as  a  permanent  standard,  it  eludes  us. 

While,  however,  our  conception  ot  propor- 
tion and  taste  is  individual,  we  ourselves  are 
subject  to  the  influence  of  heredity  and  en- 
\  ironment.  We  see  with  the  eye  of  those 
who  have  gone  before  us.  We  are  bound  to 
the  past  in  the  matter  of  our  esthetic  percep- 
tions, as  in  all  others.  We  live  in  com- 
munities, and  our  individual  minds  reflect  the 
thought  of  the  collective  body.  If  }(ni  were 
born  in  Turkey,  you  would  be  likely  to  pro- 
fess the  Mohammedan  religion;  if  in  Persia, 
sun  worship.  If  you  lived  in  Russia,  the 
steep  roofed  and  domed  architecture  would 
seem  to }ou  the  natural  expression  in  that  art. 
We  all  grow  up  to  the  general  standards  of 
our  local  surroundings. 

We  find  that  the  architecture  of  one  com- 
munity differs  from  that  of  the  next,  just  as 
we  find  different  ideas  of  government.  But 
these  ideas  resemble  the  molten  metal  in  the 


Is  the  mere  fact  ot  the  variation  from  the 
Colonial  model  enough  to  condemn  this  j^ar- 
ticular  column"?  Certainly  not.  The  pic-  melting  pot:  they  are  in  continual  flux, 
ture  of  the  Henrj-  house  on  page  21  shows  Nothing  is  fixed.  The  ideas  of  certain  in- 
columns  which  var>-  from  the  first  example  dividuals  rise  to  the  surface,  and  a  new  style 
t]uite  as  much  as  this  cohimn  does,  and  yet     is  formed.     In  proportion  to  the  force  of  the 

34 


THE  N'EXATIOUS  MATTERS  OF   PROPORTION  AM)  BALANCE 


new  individuality  and  of  the  social  condi- 
tions at  the  time,  the  new  style,  the  new  con- 
ception, makes  a  strong  impression.  And 
what  was  popular  yesterday  becomes  un- 
popular to-day. 

What  is  our  piidance  in  all  this  contusion"? 
For  those  of  us  who  believe  in  the  possibility 
of  progress,  the  single  answer  is:  study.  If 
we  are  to  improve  on  the  past,  it  our  art  is 
to  have  a  better  and  more  just  relation  to  our 
ever}'  day  lite,  we  must  know  what  mistakes 
have  been  made  in  the  past.  In  this  way, 
we  shall  learn  what  is  essential,  what  is  super- 
fluous, and  what  is  necessarv'  to  our  architec- 
ture. 

The  more  we  study  a  subject,  the  more 
sensitive  we  become  to  certain  distinctions. 
The  farnur  recognizes  by  sight  the  ditferent 
qualities  of  soil.  The  coin  collector  can  tell 
the  period  of  a  coin  by  its  general  ajipearance. 
T\\t  ph\sician  detects  svmptoms  which  are  in- 
visible to  the  layman.  The  architect  sees 
distinctions  of  beaut}  in  the  varying  propor- 
tions of  design.  All  this  is  a  matter  of  train- 
ing. And  when  a  body  of 
men  devote  their  time  to  the 
study  of  any  subject,  they 
come  to  an  agreement  on 
certain  fundamental  princi- 
l^les.  These  men  all  go 
through  certain  stages  of 
vacillation  and  inexperience, 
hut  the  majority  finally  ar- 
rive at  certain  definite  con- 
clusions. These  conclusions 
are  at  best  only  working  hy- 
potheses; they  are  subject  to 
change  and  modification  at 
aii\-  rime.  But  on  them  we 
lia><  our  .system  ot  education, 


of  government,  and  of  all  our  industrial  and 
.social  lite.  And  by  such  a  concurrence  of 
opinion,  certain  principles  are  recognized  in 
art  and  architecture. 

If  we  realize  that  in  order  to  have  good 
architecture  we  must  study  for  it — that  is  a 
great  gain,  but  what  do  we  mean  by  "study"'? 
How  does  one  go  to  work  to  study"^  Is  it 
simply  a  matter  of  buying  a  certain  number 
of  dr\'  and  tedious  books  which  deal  academ- 
ically with  the  history  of  architecture"^  Is  it 
a  matter  of  memorizing  the  dates  and  styles 
of  various  buildings? 

It  is  not.  One  of  the  greatest  stumbling 
blocks  in  the  matter  of  pojiular  understand- 
ing ot  architecture  is  the  academic  history  of 
the  subject.  For  the  mo-~t  parr  these  his- 
tories are  written  without  color  or  stjle. 
They  are  erudite  and  stilted.  They  aj>- 
proach  the  subject  with  the  intellect  alone. 
They  point  out  facts  to  be  memorized.  Not 
one,  to  ni)  recollection,  states  the  fact  that 
the  appreciation  of  the  art  of  architecture  is 
a  matter  of  training  the  eye.  To  study  archi- 
tecture is  primarily  a  matter  of  training  the 
eye.  "Does  this  please  the  eye"?"  is  the  ulti- 
mate question  which  architecture  asks. 

The  more  )ou  use  your  eyes,  the  more  you 
classity  }our  impressions,  the  more  )()u  be- 
come accustomed  to  fine  distinctions  and  to 
e.s.sentials,  the  more  you  are  able  to  answer 
the  {juestions  inrelligentlv .  Who  would 
consider  for  a  moment  the  contention  that 
music  should  be  appreciateii  by  reading  about 
it"^  The  way  to  appreciate  a  sonata  is  to 
hear  it.  The  way  to  appreciate  architecture 
is  lo  sec  it. 

You    can    develop    your    appreciation    of 
archirccturc    whcnvcr    \ou    arc    b\     simply 
stopping   to  consider   what    hxik-    well,   and 
what  does  nox.  and  w  hy. 
3J 


mi;  iioM.sr  norsE 


William   U.   Ramoul,   Archilect. 
This  house,  built  for  Mrs.  Emmerion  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,    lia>    much   of   the   character  of    its   old    neighbors. 
It   in  heautifull>    studied   throut;hout.     Note  especially  the   proportions  of  the  classic  doorway. 

What  do  we  aim  to  reach  in  our  study?  certain  types  of  architectural  design  you  can- 

The   criterion    ot    good    architecture    is    its  not  avoid  following  certain  general  propor- 

fitncss.     It  is  all  summed   up  in   the  word  tions.     If  you  wish  to  reproduce  the  char- 

"character."     In    liesigning    anj  thing,     we  acter  of  a  Greek  temple,  your  columns  must 

must  try  to  express  its  character.     Vou  know  have  the  proportion  of  Greek  columns,  and 

houses  which  look  like  pri.'^ons  to  you.     The  you  must  know  what  these  projiortions  are. 

houses  are  huilt  as  residences,  but  they  look  And  so  with  all  styles  of  architecture. 

like  jails.     Imagine  the  lives  people  would  If  you  wish  to  get  the  effect  ot  a  certain 

live  in  such  gloomy  places!     And  yet,   the  style  }ou  must  understanii  w  liar  jMoportions 

same  houses  by  the  changing  of  a  few  propor-  the   various   elements  bore   to  one   another. 

tions  might  become  attractive  dwellings,  with  We  thus  reach  an  understanding  that  there  is 

the  character  of  homes.  a  reason  for  designing  certain  things  in  cer- 

If  )ou  wish  to  have  an  vmderstanding  of  tain  ways;  that  in  so  designing  them  we  are 

architecture  you  must  study  to  find  what  best  attempting  to  express  the  character  of  the 

expresses  the  character  of  the  building.     In  building  of  which  they  are  a  part. 

doing  this  you  will  come  to  n  ali/c  rhut  with  Let  us  make  a  brief  summary  of  what  has 

^6 


THE  VEXATIOUS  MATTERS  OF  PROrOKTIOX  AND  BALANCE 


gone  bftore  in  this  chapter:  W'e  liave  seen 
that  the  sense  ot  proportion — like  tlie  sense 
ot  good  taste, —  is  an  individual  matter,  but 
that  it  is  inriuenced  by  the  communit_\  in 
which  the  individual  lives;  that  the  standards 
of  good  proportion,  as  of  good  taste,  are 
similarly  \ariable;  that  our  guiiiance  in  this 
contusion  \<,  study;  that  in  this  way  we  arrive 
at  working  principles  on  which  we  base  our 
system  of  education  ami  training  in  architec- 
ture; that  the  wa}-  to  stud\  architectun-  is 
through  training  the  eye  to  note  distinctions 
of  form  and  color;  that  the  aim  of  this  study 
is  to  enable  us  to  grasp  the  character  of  a 
building,  to  realize  what  is  essential  and 
what  is  not. 

While  we  have  seen  that  proportion  is  in- 
finite in  its  range  ot  variation,  we  mav  ask 
if  there  is  no  principle  more  "fixed"  than  this 
shifting  one.  Yes,  there  is  the  sense  of  bal- 
ance. 

Whereas  the  sense  of  proportion,  like  the 
sense  ot  good  taste,  depends  directly  on  our 
local  influences,  on  the  character  of  the  com- 
munit}^  in  which  we  \\\c,  on  the  ideas  current 
about  us,  on  our  particular  training  in  art.  on 


I'cmip.iif  lilt  lidiLsi'  oil  iliU  p.THf  willi  llial  on  pane  J'l- 
The  K^"'^'''''  scheme  of  win(lo\v<  is  similar,  yet  the  sense 
of  reslfvihicss  shown  in  Mr.  Ranioul's  house  is  totally 
wantini;  in  this  example.  The  central  motif  anil  the 
over-large   ilormers   are   especially    vulgar. 


our  having  studied  in  Rome,  or  in  Pari.s,  or  in 
London,  or  in  some  other  locality  which  is  cir- 
cumscribed with  limitations,  there  is  a  deej)cr 
.sense  essential  to  good  desigTi,  which  has  its 
toundations  nmch  more  permanently  estab- 
lished. This  is  the  sense  of  balance.  \N'hat 
do  we  mean  by  if^ 

Ever}  thing  in  nature  tends  to  grow  about 
a  center.  .\  tree  tends  to  grow  straight  about 
a  vertiial  axis.  \  tree  that  has  been  bent 
h\  the  wind  gives  the  impression  of  in-ta- 
bilit).  We  know  that  it  is  held  in  its  posi- 
tion from  falling  over  b\-  the  straining  nnns, 
but  it  looks  ill-balanced  to  the  eye.  And  yet 
the  tree  tends  constantly  to  right  itself  and 
grow  straight  again.  It  is  a  law  of  nature 
that  any  object  tries  to  come  to  a  comiition 
ot  rest,  of  equilibrium. 

The  most  simple  illustration  of  balance  is 
that  of  the  grouping  of  windows  in  the  wall 
of  the  house.  But  do  not  confuse  "sjmme- 
tr\"  with  "balance." 

In  this  countr}  the  .symmetrical  arrange- 
ment is  often  seen  in  Colonial  architecture, 
which  follows  classic  tradition  in  the  disposi- 
tion ot  its  detail,  its  windows  and  columns. 
1  he  uns}mmetrical  arrangement  is  found  at 
its  best  in  the  English  cottage  type  which,  not 
emphning  classic  motifs,  is  naturally  more 
tree  in  expression.  The  symmetrical  ar- 
rangement gives  an  impression  ot  formality, 
tlignit},  and  reserve;  the  un.symmetrical, 
something  more  intimate  in  character. 

The  house  that  a  child  draws  is  generally 
s)  uunetrical  in  the  liisposition  of  its  windows. 
I'nless  )()u  know  prett)'  well  the  me.ming  of 
balance,  w  hen  \ou  come  to  arrange  your  win- 
dow s  in  unsynunetrical  fashion  \ou  ar<"  likely 
to  produce  a  house  with  very  restless  ch.ir- 
acter.  The  moment  you  cut  lo<ise  from  the 
safe  mooring  of  symnu-try  you  arc  nowhere  I 


37 


IHK  HONEST  HOl'SE 


Just  iKvausc  >»)ii  have  chosen  an  accidental 
arrant;rMunt.  you  must  not  tlunk  that  your 
winiiows  can  Ix-  scattered  over  \()ur  walls 
like  |H'|)[HT  out  ot  a  shaker.  Such  an  acci- 
dental placing:  of  window^  usually  results  in 


a  trijihttul  exterior  that  is  as  spotty  as  a 
calico  horse. 

An  iicdJcnfjl  or  unsyrn metrical  faciulc 
must  be  buLmced  just  cis  surely  ds  4?  syminetri- 
cjI  one. 

Look  at  the  pictures  shown  on  this  page. 
Fig.  \  shows  an  arrow  with  a  stone  head  and 
a  feathered  tail.  We  all  know  that  this 
arrow  halances  when  held  as  shown,  for  the 
weight  of  the  part  of  the  right  equals  that  on 
the  left.  Let  us  go  a  little  further.  Figures 
B  and  C  show  a  flower  pot  on  a  board  held 
similarly.  In  Fig.  B  the  flower  pot  is  too 
heavy  and  tilts  the  board;  in  Fig.  C  we  have 
put  a  small  weight  on  the  left  hand  side  which 
restores  the  balance.  In  Fig.  E  instead  of  a 
flower  pot  we  have  put  window  sashes  on  the 
board,  a  big  one  on  the  right  and  three  small 
ones  on  the  left,  and  the  balance  is  main- 
tained. In  Fig.  D  we  have  put  equal  sized 
windows  on  each  side,  and  again  the  balance 
is  preserved. 


These  mechanical  illustrations  may  be  ap- 
plied to  the  window  treatment  ot  the  wall 
of  a  house.  Fig.  F  shows  such  a  house  with 
the  winilow  composition  shown  in  Fig.  D, 
and  Fig.  Cr  shows  a  house  which  has  the  com- 
position shown  in  Fig.  F.  In  both  cases  we 
say  that  the  composition  is  balanced,  but  in 
Fig.  F  it  is  symmetrical  and  in  P"ig.  (J  the 
lomposition  is  unsymmetrical. 

Note,  then,  that  in  these  house  designs  the 
.indoles  balance  about  a  vertical  axis. 

Let  us  go  a  step  further.  Let  us  take  for 
our  subject  not  only  the  comjiosition  of  the 
windows,  but  the  whole  house.  In  Fig.  H 
is  shown  a  house  similar  in  design  to  the  Van- 
ilerbilt  Loilge.  It  is,  as  one  can  readily  see, 
an  unsymmetrical  composition.  It  consists 
of  two  distinct  elements.  To  indicate  them 
clearly  they  are  shown  separated  in  Fig.  I. 
The  vertical  element  is  niarkcd  X  ami  the 
horizontal  Y.  In  a  well  designed  composi- 
tion  rhe\-  should  balance.      If  we  diminish 


the  gable  too  much  relatively  to  the  wing, 
as  is  shown  in  Fig.  J,  the  balance  is  de- 
stroyed; similarly  if  we  diminish  the  wing  it 
tends  to  become  a  mere  accident,  as  is  shown 
in  Fig.  K. 

And  so  we  arrive  at  another  architectural 


38 


THE  \EXATIOUS  MATTERS  OF  PROPOIVIION  AND  BALANCE 


A   very   daring   exaiiipic   of   uiisymrnetrical    treatment 
nently   successful.      The    detail   of   this   house   is   worthy   of 

axiom:  An  uns^innictrical  cum  position  im- 
plies a  contrast,  but  the  contrasting  elements 
must  make  on  the  eye  impressions  of  approx- 
imately equal  iin portance,  or  the  balance  ilHI 
be  lost. 

If  you  wish  to  have  an  un.synim(trii.al 
design  for  your  house,  or  an  unsymmetrical 
arrangement  for  your  windows,  train  your 
eye  by  looking  at  tlifFercnt  schemes  and  wa\s 
of  arranging  windows  and  wall  surfaces,  and 


Joy  Whctlcr  Dow,  Architect. 
is  Mr.  Dew's  house  at  Summii,  New  Jersey.  It  is  crai- 
careful    study. 

\i)u  will   arri\e  at  a  concejuion  ot   what  is 
nuant  by  balance. 

If,  after  all,  some  profane  critic  remarks 
"that  all  this  sort  of  theorj'  ends  nowhere," 
it  is  only  necessarj'  to  remind  him  that  he 
must  have  a  theory  of  his  own  in  order  to 
condemn  another.  It  all  comes  back  to  the 
fact  that  in  judging  architecture,  we  have  to 
have  a  standard — and  this  standani  i>  our 
sen.se  of  proportion. 


39 


mi:  HONKST  HOUSE 


Mellur  &  Meigs,  Architects. 
This   house,   built   near   Plillailclpliia,   is   an  excellent   example  of  the  picturesque  English  type.     Unsymmetrical   in 
ii»  dcvif;n,  in  elements  are  well  balanced  and  the  impression  given  is  a  restful  one.     The  high  chimney  in  the  corner 
is  extremely  eReclivc. 


First  floor  plan. 


40 


CHAPTi:i\  \I 

THE  USEFUL  AND  WW.  BEAUTIFUL 


UXFORTrXATELY,  when  we  have 
considered  the  matter  of  proportion 
and  bahmce,  we  have  not  done  with 
all  the  vexatious  problems  of  architectvire. 
There  remains  the  question  of  the  relation  of 
usefulness  to  beauty. 

A  flower  pot  will  serve  as  an  exam[ile.  It 
lulhls  the  obvious  purpose  of  holding  earth 
so  that  a  [)lant  can  grow  in  it.  It  can  also 
be  transferred  easil\-  from  place  to  place. 
From  the  botanist's  point  ot  view  it  makes 
very  little  difference  what  the  shape  of  the 
flower  pot  is,  provided  the  drainaj^e  and  jirac- 
tical  considerations  are  good. 

Su[)pose  we  paint  two  or  tlircc  colored 
bands  on  a  very  plain  flower  pot.  ()b- 
vioush  we  have  not  changed  the  practical 
conditions  tor  the  plant's  ;4rowtli,  but  we 
have  changed  the  appearance  of  the  pot.  To 
what  end'^  In  the  hope,  not  of  making  the 
pot  more  useful,  but  of  making  it  more  at- 


tractive. Our  artistic  judgment  may  be 
good  or  bad,  but  the  desire  to  make  the  jx)t 
more  attractive  is  the  motive  of  the  decora- 
tion. 

The  settler  in  the  charing  builds  a  rough 
log  cabin.  The  boards  he  uses  are  rough 
hewn,  the  windows  are  only  holes  in  the  thick 
walls.  .\s  time  [ia,s.ses  and  the  dangers  of 
attack  and  the  difficulties  of  living  become 
les.seneii.  ami  his  contact  with  civilization 
better,  he  builds  another  house.  This  time  he 
is  able  to  get  more  finished  material  and  he 
builds,  let  us  say,  a  shingled  hou.M-.  which  ha^. 
instead  ot  the  rough  plain  iloor,  a  more  elabo- 
rate doorway  with  a  simple  cornice  over  it. 
He  pa\s  more  attention  to  the  finish  of  the 
lornice  and  the  other  parts  of  his  hou.se. 
I  le  has  ailded  these  retinements  simply  to 
make  his  hou.se  look  more  attractive,  not  to 
make  it  more  useful. 

It  is  important  tt)  remember,  howexer.  that 


IHK  HONKST  HOrSE 


All    olil    luK   cabin    ill    ilie     I  eiiiie»ec    MuuiiiuiiiM. 


how  simple,  how  well  proportioned  it  is. 
And  yet  so  tar  as  the  consideration  ot  utility 
is  concerned,  it  is  no  better  than  the  others. 

What  is  true  ot"  this  sprinji  house  is  true 
in  a  larpr  sense  ot  all  dwelling;  houses  and 
ot"  all  architecture.  For  the  most  part,  when 
the  untrained  laxnian  hej^ins  to  think  of  his 
own  house  which  he  is  {Jioinj:;  to  build,  he  be- 
■jins  with  the  plan,  and  considers  the  number 
of  rooms  that  he  needs.  That  is  rij;ht 
enough  so  tar  as  it  goes.  Onl}  lie  must  re- 
member that  he  can  get  the  same  conditions 
of  arrangement  and  ttic  same  number  of 
rooms  ecjuall}-  well  in  a  house  that  is  ugly, 
or  one  that  is  attractive.  The  plan,  cer- 
just  because  this  builder  has  substituted  ior  rainl\.  is  important,  liur  tlic  inipro-ion  we 
his  rough  log  cabin  a  house  in  which  the  dc-  carry  away  with  us  of  a  house  usuall\  comes 
sign  has  be<'n  more  considered,  it  is  not  nee-  from  what  the  eye  sees, — the  shape,  the  nia- 
essarily  more  attractive.  It  may  be  far  less  terials,  the  color,  and  the  location  of  the 
so.     The  old  log  cabin  on  this  page  has  an     house. 

attractiveness  which  ma}'  be  lost  in  a  later  You  see,  then,  }our  house  has  two  deti- 
elaboration.  The  buililer  may  have  had  no  nite  aspects  to  tlie  anhitect.  It  is  both  a 
taste  at  all,  and  the  new  house  may  be  very  "visible"  and  "invisible"  house,  which  means 
ugly  com|)ared  to  the  old  one.  simply  the  difference  between   the   arrange- 

It  is  evident  that  a  useful  thing  may  have     ment    of    jour    house    on    ])lan,    and    )our 
the  rjualities  ot  attractiveness,  or  ot  unattrac-     house  as  the  eye  sees  it. 

tivencss.     Take  as  an  illustration  the  plan  Look  again  at  the  sketch  at  the  top  of  page 

of  a  .small  building  shown  at  the  top  of  page  43.  In  the  center  is  shown  the  plan  of  a 
43.  It  is  exceedingly  simple.  It  is  built  small  building.  What  does  this  plan  tell 
over  a  spring  and  serves  to  shelter  it.  So  far  us'?  It  tells  us  that  there  is  to  be  a  single 
as  the  plan  goes  it  is  perfectly  arranged,  room  in  the  house,  that  it  is  entered  by  a 
But  how  does  the  building  itself  l(X)k?  On  door  and  lighted  bj-  two  windows.  And 
this  plan  it  is  possible  to  get  a  great  variety  that  is  all.  It  does  n't  tell  us  what  the 
of  elevation.s.  Either  of  the  houses  shown  liousc  will  Icxik  like.  It  does  n't  tell  us  how 
beside  the  plan  satisfies  the  condition  of  high  u[)  the  windows  are,  nor  how  high  the 
protecting  the  spring  from  the  weather,  and  house  is,  not  what  its  roof  is  like.  The  plan 
giving  adequate  access  to  it  for  the  visitor,  arrangement  is  the  invisible  house.  In  this 
.And  yet,  these  two  houses  are  ugly.  The  book  we  are  particular!}  interested  in  the 
first  is  barren,  and  the  second  is  fantastic,  visible  house.  The  trouble  with  most  houses 
Compare  them  with  the  design  of  the  spring  is  not  so  much  that  they  are  badly  planned 
house  shown   below.     Notice   how   modest,     as  that  they  are  unpleasant  to  look  at.     For 

42 


THE  USEITL  AM)    IHK  BEAITIIUL 


(/yV///T£KgSTI/fC 


or  JFRm(;~/foirj£ 


AND  P:RjrEMT/OUJ^ 


an}-  floor  arrangement  there  are  manj-  inter-  For  instance,  we  are  all  prettj-  inutli  a;:ree(J 

pretations  of  faqade  possible,  j^ood  and  bad,  that  theft  is  undesirable.     We  accejtt  certain 

and   we   shall   arrive   at   the  fjood   solutions  things  as  establishetl.     Thev  form  a  workin" 

only  as  we  understand  the  dangers  and  pit-  basis  for  our  practical  life  and  we  make  such 

falls  of  design.     \\'hat  are  these  dangers'?  progress  as  we  can. 

For  centuries,  writers  on  architecture  and  Let  us  go  a  step  further.  We  have  seen 
the  fine  arts  have  been  disputing  the  theories  that  a  house  may  be  useful  and  ugly,  or  use- 
of  design.  Different  schools  of  design  have  tul  and  attractive.  The  ideal  is  always  to 
been  established  and  widely  different  theories  combine  these  latter  qualities.  Whatever 
taught.  In  this  country  the  student  ot  archi-  our  individual  taste  may  be,  we  must  come 
tecture  is  trained  to  a  conception  of  beauty  to  the  point  of  establishing  certain  h.xed  as- 
under theories  which  are  different  from  those  pects  ot  house  design.  To  think  clearly  and 
by  which  the  young  French  or  English  stu-  comprehensively  on  the  .subject  we  must  re- 
dent  is  trained,  just  as  again  the  French  train-  duce  it  to  its  simplest  terms, 
ing  is  different  from  the  English,  and  so  on.  To  study  the  problem  of  house  di'sign,  we 
And  in  adtlition  to  this  confusion  of  training  must  agree  first  on  the  elements  which  enter 
there  is  the  point  of  view  of  the  individual  into  it.  Look  at  the  two  ver\  dirftr<-nt 
student  with  theories  all  his  own. 


However,  just  as  we  differ  in  our  ideas  ot 
good  taste,  of  what  is  attractive  and  what  i> 
not,  just  so  we  differ  at  all  points.  \\  < 
have  different  ideas  ot  government,  ot 
philosophy  and  of  ethics.  How  do  we  go  to 
work  to  clarity  our  ideas  in  these  tieldsV 
We  study  history.  We  approach  the  prob- 
lem by  the  historical  method,  and  we  find 
that  atter  long  lapses  ot  time  certain  institu- 
tions have  a  social  value;  they  continue  to  be 
useful  to  the  succeeding  generations  of  men. 


i. 


43 


iiu:  iioM.sr  iioisE 


Joy  Wheeler  Dow,  Arthitect. 
In  "Wiichwood"  Nfr.  Dow  has  caught  the  character  of  Colonial  architecture.     The  entrance  door  is  like  the  fa- 
mouj   Witch    Door   at   Salem.     The   porch   is   an    interesting  variation   in   porch   design.     The   foreground   is   unfortu- 
nately  rather  bare. 


houses  shown  on  pii<^<s  44  and  45.  What 
h:ivf  thc.'^e  hou.scs  in  common'? 

To  b«j;in  with,  they  all  have  zcjII  surfaces 
which  arc  penetrated  by  window  ojienings. 
These  walls  and  windows  are  of  different 
heif^hts  and  shapes,  and  the  arran<^emcnt  is 
different  in  each  case.  Each  house  has  its 
"tcnest rated"  walls. 

Besides  this  each  house  has  a  roof.  The 
roof's  may  be  different  in  shape  and  construc- 
tion, but  each  hou.se  has  its  roof. 

.■\s  we  kxjk  closer,  we  make  out  a  certain 
number  of  smaller  parts.  The  houses  have 
doorways,  chimneys,  porches,  shutters,  etc., 
— these  are  the  details  ami  incidental  parts 
of  the  desipn. 

Then  we  see  that  these  houses  are  built  of 
different  materials — wood,  brick,  stone,  and 
stucco  arc  u.scd  in  them. 

Each  hou.se  has  its  own  color.     I'nfortu- 


nately  in  a  black  and  white  reproduction  this 
cannot  be  suggested  easily.  This  color  may 
be  the  natural  color  of  the  material,  or  of  an 
applied  nature,  but  whatever  it  is,  each  house 
has  its  color. 

Finally,  there  is  the  setting  of  the  houses, 
their  relation  to  the  background  and  fore- 
ground, to  the  planting  of  their  gardens — in 
a  won!,  the  entourage. 

What  is  true  of  these  houses  is  true  of  all 
liou.ses.  There  are  certain  elements  which 
occur  in  every  house,  and  they  are  few  in 
number.  They  may  vary  indefinitely,  but 
the}-  can  be  classified  and  throvigh  these 
classifications  we  may  learn  to  avoid  certain 
mistakes  in  designing  our  houses. 

Understand  clearly  that  this  is  no  "sys- 
tem" of  design.  There  is  no  royal  road  to 
learning  to  design  well.  It  is  a  matter  of 
hard  and  continual   work.     Every  architect 


44 


THE  I  SKFl  L  AND  THE  BEAl  TIFUL 


IiIiiiuikI    li.    Gilcliri>i,    ArchilFCt. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  find   a   small   house  which  gives  greater  satisfaction   than  the  gardener's  cottage  at    "Kris- 
heim,"    Dr.    Woodward's    estate    near    Philadelphia.     Its    simple  stucco  walls  and  its  happy  setting  give  i(  great  charm. 
The  roof  surfaces  are  unbroken  by  dormers,  and  yet  the  house  is  adequately  lighted. 

wlu)  has  Studied  seriously  makes  some  kind  of  classitication  is  only  analytical.      It   is  arti- 

classitication    of    principles,    and    ha.ses    his  ticial,  but  it  is  artificial  only  in  the  same  way 

work  upon  this  conception  of  the  relation  of  that  any  methtid  of  instruction  is  bouml  tt) 

the  different  elements  of  his  art.     In  a.ssum-  be  artificial. 

m'^  the  above  cla.ssihcation,  it  must  be  saitl  In   studjin-,'  j;;eo';raphy,   we   separate   the 

at   once    aiui    most   emphaticalh'    tliat    this  niouutains  from  the  plains,  the  |)Iains  from 


First   and  second  floor  plans  of  ihc   gardener's  cottage  at  "KiiNlicun. 

4> 


rHK  H(Ai:ST  HOISE 


the  v:illf\s.  thf  v;illry>  troiii  tin-  ri\<i-  .mil 
tlir  rivi-rs  troin  thr  sea.  And  yrt  jn  nature, 
all  these  fonn  a  |)art  of  a  uniteil  whole. 
They  are  all  interciependent,  ami  are  in 
reality  indissoliibly  linked  tojjether.  Wc 
make  an  abstraction  ot  the  word  "river"  and 
we  take  it  out  ot"  its  settinj;,  but  in  reality  the 
river  exists  only  in  eonneetion  with  its  banks, 
the  valley  in  which  it  lies,  the  plains  and 
the  mountains  which  tomi  the  valley,  and  so 
on. 

So  in  architecture  the  correct  conception  of 
desipi  is  that  of  an  organic  whole.  The 
plan,  the  section,  the  elevations  ot  the  house 


.^lioulil  all  be  thou};;ht  of  together.  Perhaps 
it  is  impossible  to  do  this  absolutely,  but  we 
should  come  as-near  to  it  as  we  i;ui.  How- 
ever, as  in  geography,  it  is  impossible  to  think 
of  all  the  elements  at  once.  We  make  a  kind 
of  classification  ot  the  elements  that  we  are 
to  deal  with.  In  house  design,  we  have  these 
invariable  elements,  capable  ot  unlimited 
variations  in  their  exj^ressions :  the  walls  and 
windows,  the  roof  and  the  details,  the  ma- 
terials, the  color,  and  the  entourage.  \\'e 
shall  take  them  up  one  by  one,  and  try  to 
find  out  what  are  some  of  the  common  mis- 
takes of  interpretation. 


Jcilin   Ruiscll   Pope,  .Architect. 
A  detail  of  the  Vanderbili  Lodge  at  "Deepdale"  showing  the  carved  gargoyles. 


46 


CHAPTER  \U 


THE  ENTOURAGE  OF  THE  COUNTRY    HOUSE 


IT  is  no  longer  necessary'  to  preach  the  joys  his  own  hedges  and  walls  and  walks  and  gar- 
ot  country  lite  to  the  right-minded  dens — everything  that  is  a  part  ot  the  land- 
American.  He  dreams  of  his  some-da)  scape  immediately  surrounding  his  house 
home  to  such  good  [lurpose  that  evenruiilly  becomes  as  important  as  the  house  itself.  H< 
he  realizes  it.  But  the  consideration  ot  the  knows  that  until  his  hou.se  fits  comt'ortablx 
entourage  ot  his  country  house  is  new  to  him.  into  its  site,  until  his  trees  and  gardens  and 
It  savors  of  that  e.\[)ensive  new-comer,  the  vistas  hang  together  in  a  harmonious  series  ot 
landscape  gardener.  He  fears  that  some  picture^,  until  his  place  offers  his  family 
elahorare  foreign  fol-de-rol  will  he  brought  a  niaximum  ot  privacy  ami  repose  and 
into  his  decent  .American  domain,  and  he  beauty,  he  has  not  nuule  the  best  of  his  en- 
will   have  none  of  it.      Besides,   he  argue.s,  tourage. 

his  house  is  a  good  one.      His  lawn  mower  Our   architects   have   done   everything   in 

clicks    from    morning   until    night.      He   has  their  power  to  hasten  the  ajipreciation  of  the 

jiroper  walks  with  orderly  flower  bed>  bor-  entourage.     They  are  hampered,  however,  by 

dering    them.     What    more    could    a    man  the  average  man's  determination  to  spend  so 

want";'  much  on  his  house,  and  to  let  his  '"grounds" 

Your    foreigner    dreams    always    of    his  take  care  of  themselves.      It  has  n't  been  long 

liouse  and  garden  as  a  well  considered  whole,  since  the  po]>ular  measur<'  ot  a  country  house 

No  matter  how  .small  his  little  phice  may  be,  was   its   e.xpensiveness,    ami   the   number   of 

he  finds  some  way  of  enclosing  it,  of  making  acres  around  it.      If  beauty   was  considered 

all  of  it  a  part  of  his  family  life.      He  works  at  all  it  w:ls  the  supjiosed  beauty  of  cUiscIy 

from    the    outmo-r    boundaries    in,    with    iu>  clipped  lawns  spotteil  with  geometric  Hower 

hou.se  always  as  his  point  of  departure  and  Ik  ds.     (harden  architecture  was  limited  to  a 

point    of    arrival.     The    disjiosition    of    the  ilepiorabh-   mixture   of   summer  ht>uses   and 

houses  and  ganlens  that  surround  hi^  place,  bridge-  of  unfriendly  styles,     (iarden  orna- 

47 


THK  HONKSr  HOI  SE 


iiiiiii    im-ant  a   tew   terrible  statues  ot   cast  of  us  buikl  in  the  torest;  most  of  us  have  to 

iron  or  ^^raiiite,  ami  the  last  wonl  in  niaj,niiti-  build  near  our  neif,'hbors,  and  it  is  necessary 

ccncr  w:us  an  elal>orate  fountain.  to  consiil<  r  the  problems  ot  our  entoura^'e  ail 

With  the  };rowth  of  country   life  a  new  the    more    carefully.     We    must    make    our 

fetlinj;  has  come  al^iut,  and  wliere  a  do/en  house  harmonize  with  its  surroundings,  and 

years  ago  tlure  were  onl\   a  ivw  houses  ami  we  must  lietter  them,  if  possible,  by  taking 


gartiens   that   '•belong«d,' 


to-da\    there   arc 


humlreds  of  entrancing  tlomains  tliat  dis- 
prove all  the  t)ld  arguments  that  )()u  can't 
make  a  jH-rfect  garden  in  America.  I  he 
three  influences  that  have  brought  about  the 
new  I onsideration  of  entourage  are  the  arclii- 


aii\antage  ot  all  opiuirtunitics  tor  co-opera- 
tion with  our  neighbors.  You  should  con- 
sider the  entourage  betorc  }()u  begin  to  build 
\ our  house. 

Perhaps   the    site    is    alr<:ui\    wooded;    in 
that  case  much  ot  \()ur  work  lias  been  done 


tect,  who  wishes  to  see  his  house  ()laced  to  the  tor  }ou.  But  more  often  the  lot  upon  which 
best  jjossible  advantage;  the  .American's  habit  the  house  is  to  be  {)ut  is  barren,  or  nearl)-  so. 
of  travel,  of  ;idapting  the  best  things  his  tor-     The  actual  hou.se  itself,  the  house  which  is 


enclosed  within  the  tour  walls,  is  onI\'  ;i  part 
ot  your  i)r()blem.  If  you  wish  to  get  the 
greatest  attractiveness  out  of  your  house 
design,  you  must  consider  it  in  relation  to  the 
possible  i)lanring  and  the  development  of 
gardens,    etc.,    which    \our    lot   will    permit. 


eign  neighbor  has  to  otfer  to  hi>  own  uses ;  anti 
a  really  genuine  pleasure  in  living  out  doors, 
which  must  inevitably  bring  about  a  desire 
tor  the  same  repose  and  privac\-  in  his  gar- 
den that  he  demands  to-da)'  of  his  house. 

For  these  hundreds  of  houses   that  have 
well  [)l;inned  entourages,  however,  there  are     You  must  consider  the  approaches,  the  plac- 
tens  ot  thousimds  tliat  iiave  no  relation  what-     ing  ot  out  buildings,  the  views  from  certain 
ever    to    their    surroundings.     Nothing    is     windows — ever}thing.      If  you  have  a  very 
more  extraordinarj-  than  the  indifference  of     small  place,  ever}   inch  of  it  should  be  made 
the  home  builder  of  the  average  suburban     to  covmt.      Flowers  should  be  kept  clo.se  to 
town  to  the  planting  about  his  home.     For     the  house,  or  lattices,  or  hedges,  or  walls,  and 
every  cott;ige  that  is  set  attractively  in  its     a  certain  feeling  of  space  preserved. 
surrounding  garden,  there  are  hundreds  that 
stand  solitar)-,   without  so  much  as  a  sun- 
flower or  a  blueberry  bush  by  way  of  foliage. 
The  idea  back  of  this  bleakness  seems  to  be 

that  a  hou.se  is  a  man's  business,  and  a  flower  / 

garden  is  merely  a  woman's  frill,  to  be  added 
if  she  feels  equal  to  the  work  of  it. 

Ot  course,  a  house  situated  in  the  forest 
far  from  any  neighboring  house  can  be 
treated  more  freely  than  a  suburban  house 
located  in  clo.se  proximity  to  other  houses. 
This  is  al.so  true  of  an  i.solated  man.  When 
he  is  alone,  he  can  do  as  he  likes.     But  few        ^'''!  ''^'^'■'  r"'°P°'-''°"«J  ^mi  over-elaborate  house  U  set 

squarelv  in  a  barren  lot.     Privacv  is  impossible. 
48 


THE  ENTOURAGE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  HOUSE 


W'ilMiii   1  >rc,   Aiiliiicti. 

"Fairacres"    at   Jenkintown,    Pennsylvania,    is  an   ample  house  that  fits  serenely  into  its  seitinc-     A  ma>s  of  shruhs 
gives   privacy   to  the    living   part   of  the   house.     It   is   possible  even   for  small   houses  to  get  similar   protection. 

In  considering;  the  a[)i)r();Kh,  you  arc  met  who  live  siniph-,  sane  live.s.     We  have  ttxi 

with  the  problem  of  placing;  the  hou.se  on  the  Ion-;  lived  in  a  carcle.s.s  neij^hborhness  tliat 

lot,    since    the    approach    presumably    leads  passed  for  democracy.     \\'e  have  sacrificed 

from  a  public  street  to  the  house.     There  are  our  possible  gardens,  throwing  them  all  tt>- 

two  ways  in  which  we  can  place  the  house  gcther  ifito  an  unbroken  greensward,  "for  the 

that  are  typical  of  American  and  European  benefir   of   the   town."     This   is   very   com- 

custom.      In  America  a  small  house  is  visu-  mcndable  in  a  clo.sely  settleil  suburban  town, 

ally  set  far  back  from  the  juihlie-  road,  and  bur  even   tlicn   there   is  a  |>(xssibility  of   de- 

the  space  between  the  road  and  the  house  is  veloping  the  side   ami   back   \ards   into  an 

given  o\(T  to  a  lawn  or  garticn  open  to  the  enclosed   garden.      Hedges   and   lattices  can 

passer-b) .      On  a  larger  lot  the  hou.'^e  will  be  be     used     with     iliscretion.      Tlie     humblest 

set  half  way   with   the  same  ojien   lawn   in  hou.se,    wirli   a   little  careful    planting,   will 

front  and  a  vegetable  garden  in  the  n  ar.  rake  on  dignity  anil  charm. 

Surely  we  are  all  agreed  that  the  charm  of  In  Euro|>ean  towns  it  is  common  jiractice 

home  life  lies  in  its  privacy.     No  one  wants  ro  plan  tlie  iiouse  so  that  it  turns  its  back  tin 

strangers     looking     into    his     house.     Why  rlie  street  and  faces  its  own  gartiens.     This 

sliould  tie  deliberately  bare  his  gardens,  his  arrangement  gives  all    rhe   ailvantages   that 

lawns,  to  the  public  gaze"?     It  is  not  a  snob-  an\    entourage  can   titfer — privacy,   and    re- 

bi.sh  selfishness,  this  enclosing  one's  own.      Ir  pose,  and  an  attractive  ganlen  space. 

is  rarlier  rhe  common-.sen.se  practice  of  people  If  your  pl<n  of  land  i-~  ver\  Muali  and  \oii 

49 


II IK  HONKS r  HOUSE 


John   Russell    Hope,   Architect. 
No  detail  of  small  house  architecture  is  so  neglected  in  this  country  as  the  garden  wall.     This  house  and  garden 
is  located  on  the   Vandcrbilt  estate  on  Long  Island. 


wi.sh  your  main  nxMiis  to  face  the  street,  you 
can  arrange  to  have  adequate  planting  hc- 
twtcn  .street  and  house,  and  in  this  way  serein 
the  taniily  rooms.  Rooms  so  phiced  will  re- 
ceive the  maximum  of  noise  and  dust,  how- 
evtr.  Ot  course  if  your  interest  is  such 
that  you  have  to  have  a  constant  view  of 
the  happenings  on  the  ■street,  you  are  not  in- 
terested in  this  argument  for  quiet  and  pri- 
vacy. 

A  wall  is  the  finest  thing  a  man  can  bring 
to  his  entourage.  It  should  be  of  the  same 
material  as  the  hou.se — stone,  or  stucco,  or 
brick — or,  if  the  house  is  of  wood,  it  ma}  be 
of  cobbles,  or  it  may  be  a  graceful  lattice 
with  a  hedge  planted  against  it.  In  old 
European  gardens  the  wall  is  never  forgotten. 
It  is  a  part  of  the  general  plan,  often  continu- 


ing the  very  house  walls,  always  giving 
jiicturesqueness  and  privacy.  Against  it 
grape  vines  and  small  fruits  are  trained.  It 
forms  a  shelter  and  a  protection,  it  makes  a 
home  a  man's  own,  and  it  is  a  convincing 
argument  that  it  is  built  for  i)ermanency.  It 
is  looked  upon  as  a  heritage. 

In  building  a  wall,  the  question  of  ex- 
pense nuist  be  considered.  Many  of  us 
would  prefer  a  high  stone  wall  covered  with 
a  thick  growth  of  green  and  blossom  to  a 
house,  but  we  f/ave  to  have  the  house,  and 
we  usually  give  up  the  wall.  The  hard 
working  people  who  built  miles  and  miles  of 
stone  walls  all  over  the  old  farms  of  the 
colonies  built  with  their  hands,  and  our  hands 
are  too  untrained,  too  occupied  with  other 
things. .    But    cement — that    magic    means 


50 


THE  EXTOIRAGE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  HOISE 


ot  accomplishing  a  di-sircd  ctfcct  at  small 
cost — has  made  walls  possible  for  man\- 
of  us. 

Walls  with  green  things  growing  over 
them  and  slender  gardens  of  old  fashioned 
flowers  creej)ing  along  them  are  much  more 
interesting  than  tine  gardens  spread  ojjen, 
public  park  fashion.  Who  doesn't  thrill  at 
the  occasional  patch  ot  color  seen  through 
a  thick  hedge,  at  the  adventurous  roses  that 
clamber  over  a  high  stone  wall"?  There  is 
always  an  element  of  mystery,  of  remoteness, 
hanging  about  a  wall  of  any  sort.  The 
beauty  of  it  is  that  such  a  wall  gives  the 
family  within  a  chance  to  live  their  own  lives. 


and  it  also  gives  the  pa>ser-by  a  chance  to 
dream. 

Hetlges  are  a  godsend  to  those  of  us  who 
cannot  afford  walls.  We  have  only  recently 
realized  that  we  can  have  a  respectable  heiige 
ot  privet  in  two  or  three  years,  at  very  sniall 
expense.  The  clippings  of  our  hedges  have 
been  transplanted  as  hedges  for  our  neigh- 
bors, and  so  the  custom  grows. 

Gatewa)S  give  the  necessary  glimpses  of 
the  pleasure  that  lies  within  our  walls.  Who 
tliat  has  had  the  thrill  of  peejiing  through  the 
great  iron  gates  into  one  of  the  old  ganlens 
of  Charleston,  or  Augusta,  or  New  Orleans, 
will  ever  see  a  garden  so  fair"^?     I  remember 


l'li()lci>;r:ipli    h\    l.illijii    liayiu-s    Cirirtiii. 

Here  house,  garilen  and   water  come  together  on  the  <ihorc  of   Long   Island   Sound   in   a   delightful   and   informal 
intimacy. 

s'l 


IHK  HONKST  HOrSE 


reali'/iiif:  my  favorite  tair\  Mory,  when  1  was 
a  \rry  Miiall  jHTMrn,  in  an  i)lii  Augusta  j;ar- 
il<n.  Ilif  hiiih  iron  k-nce  was  completely 
covered  with  vines  and  roses,  but  there  was 
an  o|H-n  j)lace  just  bi^  enough  tor  a  small 
head  to  In-  pokeii  throu^^h,  anil  beyoml  lived 
The  Sleeping:  B«-auty.  I  saw  her  fountain, 
anil  a  red  and  yellow  parrot  that  jjerched  on 
its  rim,  and  a  very  elaborate  peacock  some- 
how much  more  royal  than  those  on  my 
^grandmother's  plantation,  and  a  black-fjreen 
mapiolia  tree  Ixavy  with  white  blossoms. 
Back  of  the  fountain  a  lonj^  whitewashed 
stone  house  rambled  alon;,'.  and  hunilretls  ot 
maki'-believe  peojih-  lived  there.  I  never 
.saw  the  Beauty,  or  tiic  I'rince,  thouj,'h  I  sur- 
prised the  parrot  and  the  peacock  often,  but 
I  was  always  sure  they  were  just  beyond  the 
vista  afforded  me.  When  travelers  talk  of 
walled  Enj^lish  gardens,  and  sculptured 
Italian  gardens,  and  adorable  French  ones,  I 
remember  my  jierfect  glimpse.  To  this  day 
I  am  thrilled  with  expectancy  at  the  sight  of 
an  enclosed  garden.  It  always  has  a  beckon- 
ing quality  that  allures. 

The  entourage  is  elastic  in  its  possibili- 
ties— for  every  house  there  ma}-  be  a  garden 
that  will  'belong."  On  C'a['e  Cod  there  is 
an  old  gray  shingle  house  that  I  know,  just 
one  stor\  high,  with  a  grape  vine  growing 
all  over  the  riMit,  with  little  square  jianes  of 
glass,  and  a  dark  green  iloor  anil  a  soft  little 
yard  of  uncut  grass,  and  gray  palings  with 
honeysuckle  spread  over  them.  There  is  a 
rustic  arbor  (it  would  be  a  pergola  now)  of 
weathered  gray  railings  running  all  around  it 
with  a  narrow  brick  terrace  beneath,  and 
literally  hundreds  of  grape  vines  covering 
house  and  arbors  and  the  palings  of  the  old 
fence.  The  grape  vines  actually  creep  along 
the  roof  tree  and  festoon  the  chimneys.     It 


is  the  most  adorable  little  house  you  can 
imagine,  but  it  would  be  as  humble  as  a  gray 
alley  kitten  without  the  soft  uncut  grass  and 
the  grape  vines. 

On  the  North  Shore  of  Massachusetts  there 
is  a  great  house  that  belongs  in  its  entourage 
just  as  surely.  A  little  park  ot  i)ine  trees 
screens  the  [)lace  from  rlx'  pulilic  roail. 
Once  past  the  pine  trees  vou  enter  an  en- 
chanted domain  of  intimate  gardens,  with 
m}sterious  paths  that  lead  }ou  to  the  tennis 
court,  or  a  pergola,  or  a  rose  ganieii,  or  a 
geometric  color-mass  of  vegetables,  hing  like 
a  brilliant  colored  f^ag  in  a  sunny  sunken 
space.  All  the  paths  lead  to  the  house,  as 
paths  should.  You  go  through  rlie  long  hall 
and  come  out  upon  another  garden,  ;>.  brick 
terrace  with  grape  vines  covering  the  beams 
above  it,  and  formal  box  trees  in  great  Italian 
jars  along  its  rim.  This  terrace  drops  to  a 
walleil  garden  fillet!  wirh  rose  and  lilue  flow- 
ers, and  this  in  turn  dro[)s  to  the  sea.  You 
sit  upon  the  high  terrace  and  look  out  over  the 
rose  and  blue  blossoms  to  the  sea.  Even  the 
vistas  are  your  own.  Were  you  under  pon- 
der distant  little  white  sail,  you  'd  be  sure 
that  this  enchanting  garden  and  the  house 
abo\e  it  had  sprung  from  the  blue  water,  so 
perfectly  does  it  all  hang  together. 

It  takes  an  architect  to  plan  a  jirojxT  house, 
but  any  one  who  is  willing  to  think  a  little 
and  work  hard  may  develop  a  very  beautiful 
and  satisfying  entourage  for  his  house.  It  is 
a  consoling  thought  that  although  the  ilctail 
ot  your  house  may  be  unattractive,  its  arbors 
and  gateways  badly  designed,  you  can  plant 
trees  and  shrubs  and  vines  that  will  cover  the 
ugliness,  and  your  house  will  become  a  trans- 
formed thing  that  belongs  to  its  garden. 

Many  houses  that  seem  dignified  and  fine 
to  us  are  in  reality  commonplace  and  depend 


THE  ENTOURAGE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  HOLSE 


entirely  on  the  surrounding  foliage  for  their 
beauty.  I  remember  one  old  place  that  al- 
ways seemed  remote  and  beautiful  because  I 
could  see  only  a  bit  of  the  dingy  yellow  house 
through  a  thick  tangle  of  evergreen  trees — 
magnolias,  and  cedars,  and  low  shrubs  that 
had  been  transplanted  from  the  woods. 
Queer  old  people  lived  there,  and  so  there  was 
no  excuse  for  a  small  person  to  explore  its 
mysteries.  It  gave  me  a  shock  of  disappoint- 
ment years  after  to  realize  that  the  house  was 
worse  than  commonphue  in  itself, — it  was  a 
dreadful  mustard  colored  pile  of  clapboards, 
with  gingerbread  trimming  around  its 
porches.  But  that  mattered  little,  for  the 
rose  vines  and  ivy  completely  covered  the 
ugliness  of  the  jig-saw  work,  and  the  trees 
crept  close  to  the  house  and  protected  it  from 
the  passers-by.  It  was  not  a  house,  but  a 
"place,"  with  an  important  and  comforting 
entourage  that  saved  its  secret  from  discov- 
er}-. 

We  can  perhaps  never  have  the  fine  luxuri- 
ance of  growth  around  our  houses  that  the 
English  gardens  have,  but  we  can  have  some- 
thing very  pleasant,  if  we  will  work  for  it. 
Rose  vines  and  hedges  and  grass  and  old 
fashioned  flowers  grow  quickly  for  us,  and 
lattices  and  {)ergolas  add  to  the  charm  of  our 
little  houses.  We  can  manage  everything 
quickly  except  trees,  and  we  can  have  pretty 
good  trees  if  we  study  the  soil  and  plant  the 
trees  that  are  quickest  in  growth.  \\'e  can 
plant  those  for  our  own  pleasure,  ami  a  few- 
slow  growing  ones — oak.s,  elms  and  such — 
for  the  pleasure  of  our  grandchildren. 
There  is  no  excuse  for  barrenness. 

We  can't  have  the  delightful  brick  walks 
of  English  gardens,  with  grass  growing  be- 
tween the  bricks,  because  the  bricks  will 
freeze  in  winter  and  Itulge  up.     Rut  we  can 


Mellor  i  Me!^,  Architects. 
The   ro^e-gro^vn    lattice    adil*   Kfcatly   to   the   attractive- 
ness of   .\lr.   .Meigs'   little   cottage. 

have  flat  stones  of  irregular  shape  laid  in 
the  grass  Japanese  fashion,  and  they  will 
keep  their  places.  We  can  have  walks  ot 
bricks  laid  in  cement  or  in  sand,  instead  of 
ugly  ribbons  of  gray  cement,  or  we  can  have 
soft  earth  jiaths  with  a  little  gravel  in  them 
instead  of  terrible  white-wa.-heil  walks.  We 
can  have  bottlers  ot  little  Howers  and  ferns 
instead  of  tiresome  arrangements  ot  ■/ig--/.ag 
bricks  or  shells  or  bottles  or  white-wa>hed 
stones. 

No  place  is  too  small  for  some  sort  of 
flower  garden,  an  arbor  or  a  lattice,  a  [hhiI,  a 
stretch  of  greensward,  a  little  space  for 
vecetables.  ^^'e  mav  realize  the  wall  foun- 
tain,  or  the  pergola,  or  the  sun  dial,  or  the 
little  pool  we  have  always  planned,  but  wc 


53 


llli:  HONKS  1    IIOISK 


must  never  crowd  thinp^.  Kr|)osc  is  the  be- 
jjinnin^  and  end  ot   a  j^arden. 

1-tirnial  j^ardens  are  rarely  cntrancinj:;. 
They  are  admirable  and  orderly,  and  the\- 
atford  us  plenty  ot  flowers  for  the  house,  but 
thev  seliloni  ;:ive  us  >heer  ecstasy,  as  a  proper 
j;arden  .should.  The  real  pleasure  ot  plant- 
ing' flowers  lies  in  placing;  them  where  they 
will  tollow  stimethinfi.  A  rose  covered  arbor 
is  much  njore  charming:  than  an  orderly 
"bed"  ot  roses.  Lonj;  shallow  masses  ot 
flowers  tollowinji  the  rim  ot  a  terrace,  or  a 
wall,  or  the  rim  ot  a  pool  are  always  suc- 
cesstul.  A  larj:e  cntouraj^e  may  include  a 
dozen  ^^ardens — formal  ones,  wild  ones, 
vej^etable  ones,  but  on  a  small  place  it  is 
best  to  plant  flowers  where  tli<  y  will  supple- 
ment the  trees  and  shrubs,  ami  tell  in  strik- 
ing' spots  of  color. 

We  can  all  have  flower  j^ardens,  and  we 
can  all  avoid  flower  "bed.s."  It  is  all  very 
well  to  till  your  garden  chock  full  of  flowers, 
so  that  there  is  no  room  for  fjrass  or  walks 
or  anything  else.  A  mass  of  flowers  is  al- 
ways lovely,  just  as  a  field  of  weeds  is  lovely. 
But  if  you  have  a  well  planned  garden  vour 
flowers  should  be  against  or  around  things,  in 


.\    ru»tic    arbor    that    leads   to    an    old-fashioned    flower 
garden. 


long  shallow  borders  against  a  hedge,  or  a 
terrace  alongside  a  brick  wall,  or  around  a 
tree.  The  only  other  waj  of  handling 
masses  of  flowers  is  to  make  a  formal  gar- 
den of  them  with  walks  and  a  sun  dial,  or  a 
tree,  or  a  bird  bath  in  the  center.  Nothing 
is  more  unfortunate  than  a  great  stretch  ot 
green  lawn  dotted  with  isolated  crescents  ami 
stars  and  circles  ot  flowers. 

The  house  must  always  be  the  heart  of  the 
entourage,  and  the  paths  should  all  lead  to 
it,  but  they  need  not  go  directly.  \\'inding 
[xiths  may  go  pretty  much  as  they  please,  if 
the}-  are  accompanied  b}-  shrubs  and  flowers 
to  invite  strolling,  but  straight  walls  should 
always  lead  to  something.  It  may  be  an 
arbor,  or  a  pool,  or  a  sun-dial,  or  a  bench 
against  a  lattice  wall,  but  it  must  lead  to 
.something.  There  should  be  a  vista  of 
.something  pleasant  at  the  end  of  all  the  walks 
that  lead  directly  from  the  house.  This  is 
often  achieved  by  placing  the  main  walks  in 
line  with  the  windows  of  the  living-room,  or 
dining-room,  so  that  the  eye  can  follow  the 
walk  to  the  picture  that  lies  at  its  end. 

Probably  no  one  ever  planned  his  ideal 
entourage  without  including  a  little  brook,  or 
a  glimpse  of  the  sea  in  his  plan.  We  yearn 
so  tor  the  sight  of  water,  and  if  we  can  afFord 
it  we  sometimes  compromise  by  bringing  an 
elaborate  fountain  into  the  garden  to  take  the 
place  of  the  little  brook.  But  fountains  are 
dangerous  things.  They  are  usually  vulgar 
in  their  noisy  display  and  their  mechanical 
elaboration.  A  pool  with  a  simple  rim  of 
stone  or  cement  or  marble  set  deep  into  the 
grass  will  give  greater  joy.  A  round  pool 
eight  feet  in  diameter,  or  a  rectangular  pool 
five  feet  by  eight,  is  quite  large  enough  to 
serve  as  a  mirror  for  the  trees  and  flowers 
about  it.     It  may  have  a  tiny  spray  of  water 


54 


THE  ENTOURAGE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  HOUSE 


1 


u'i^xsi:^ 


Dejit;ncd  b>    11.    1'.  Liiidelierg.  AIItu  \   LiiiJHm:— .   ,\:.'.t..  k. 

Mere  is  a  formal  garden  which  is  also  emrancing.     The  walls,  the  pool   and  ihc  prim  hox  trees  are  all   formal   in 
their  disposition,  but   a   long  garden  of  everyday   Mowers  relieves  the  formality  by  its  gaiety. 


from  sonic  little  tipirc  in  the  centtr,  a  truit 


and 


fountains  and  benches  and  bridijes  that 


tree  tvvistin<j;  over  it,  a  bencli  beside  it,  and  a      tlu-    landseape    architect   can    devise.      Mod- 


school  ot  gold  tish  within  it.  It  will  atFord 
lis  never  failing  color  and  motion,  ami  it  will 
cost  little  more  than  a  pair  ot  the  awful  cast- 
iron  vases  your  grandfather  bouglit  for  his 
garden. 


esty  IS  an  essential  to  rejjose. 

The  house  is  the  final,  as  it  is  also  the  first, 
consideration  of  the  entourage.  It  mu>t  tit 
comfortably  into  its  site.  The  brutal  line  ot 
the  foundations  must  be  softened  with  a  mass 


(iarddi  furniture  is  tempting,  ami  here  too  of  shrubs.  Ivy  will  creep  over  its  wall,  ami 
we  must  go  warily.  Cement  has  made  possi-  i)ull  it  more  securely  into  place.  If  the 
ble  to  all  of  us  reproductions  of  fine  old  house  is  low  ujion  the  ground,  and  we  can 
Roman  and  Crreek  benches  and  fountains  and  enter  it  without  climbing,  we  are  fortunate 
jars.      It  is  hard  to  resist  them,  but  an  over-     indeed.      If  the  house  is  nuich  iiigher  than  the 

main  garden,  terraces  will  do  much  to  bring 
it  into  the  general  harmony. 

\\hen  the  house  has  finally  grown  into  its 
surroumlings,  and  ivy  has  sotten<il  the-  new- 
ness of  its  lines  into  mellowness,  when  trees 


crowded  garden  is  as  sad  as  an  overcrowiled 

house.      Too  nuH-h  garden  furniture  destro}"s 

repose.      Indeed,    the    small    place    with    one 

garilen  bench,  and  a  sun  dial,  and  a  pair  of 

Italian    oil    jars    i)laced    where    the    creamy 

whiteness  will  tell  against  dark  green  foliage     and   shrubs  have   been   planted   where  dark 

is  in  much  bt  tter  taste  than  the  elaborate  en-     shadows    are    needed,    ami    flowers    ma>seil 

tourage  that  iiulmles  all  the  marble  temples     where  they  will  be  most  effective,  then  will 


riii;  HONKST  HOI  SK 

come  to  pass  an  infimacv  of  house  and  j;ar-  plant.-d,    it    needs    little    care.     \\ho    that 

den  that  will  make  the  p'ertect  entoura-e.  h:us  n't  planted   trees  can   know   the  excite- 

Do  not  iH-  dis.-ov.ra-ed  bv  the  thou-ht  that  ment  of  watching  the  hrst  apple  npen  ,nt.) 

it  tik.-s  time  for  bvishes  and  trees  to  ^rrow.  maturit)  "^     ^^■ho  that  has  n't  planted  a  rose- 

Of  course  it  takes  time,  but  once  the  tree  is  bush  can  know  the  thrill  of  the  hrst  rose"? 


Charles   Barton   Keen,   Architect. 
Entrance  gateway  at  Strafford,  Pennsylvania.     Note  the  generous  proportion  of 
the  arch  and  simplicity  of  the  design. 


56 


CHAI'TKli  Mil 


CON'CERNIX(;  COLOR 


HA\'E  you  ever    gone  along  one  of  aiul  w  Iio  has  developed  his  garden  in  his  own 

the   streets   of  a  suburban   town  way. 
and   noticetl    how   eaeh   house    is         The    reason    that    Kuropcan    cities,    espe- 

paintcd  without  any  regard  to  the  colors  of  cially  those  on  the  Continent,  are  so  skilfully 

the  neighboring  houses";'     First  we  have   a  developed  is  that  certain  desi)otic  rulers  have 

red  house,  then  a  white,  then  a  chocolate,  and  said,  "We  are  going  to  jnit  a  boulevard  from 

then  a  gray  one.      If  these  colors  were  light,  here  to  tliere  without  ;ii;king  anybody's  ad- 

.soft  tones,  such  as  one  sees  in  the  nuilti-col-  vice    or    consent    about    it."     Whereas,    in 

ored  towns  in  some  of  the  tropical  countries,  .America,  the  only  way  this  could  be  done 

it  would  not  onh'  be  pardonable,  but  very  would  be  by  unanimous  public  opinion,  and 

desirable.      But    nothing    coulil    be    turthiT  on   i-tli<tic   matters    ])ublic   opinion    is   very 

from   pictures(]ueness   than   the   aspect   the\-  ditlicult  to  awaken. 

present.      The  colors  are  hard,  deciiicd,  cheap  Nevertheless  the  intelligent  house  builder 

and  unsympathetic.  nuist  realize  the  advantages  of  making  his 

Don't  be  afraid  to  lia\c  the  color  of  \our  neighbor's  property  benefit  his  own,  anti  to 

house  bear  some  reasonable   relation   to  the  do  this  means  stuily  and  consiileration  antl 

color  of  your  neighbor's  house.  K>-o|)(ration. 

Don't  think  you  get  an  artistic  distinction  Mucii  of  the  attraction  that  the  old  Kuro- 

by  making  }our  house  picturesque  or  notice-  j^ean  towns  has  for  us  exists  largely  because 

alil<'  by  \  iolince  or  eccentricity.  ot  the  character  ot  the  houses,  liomogeneous 

The  thing  that  strikes  the  European  most  in  botii  ilesign  and  color.     The  harmony  ot 


forcibly  on  coming  over  here  is  the  lack  of 
hannon)  between  houses  jiut  up  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  A  man  builds  his  house  in 
his  own  wa\',  and  next  to  him  will  be  a 
neighbor  who  has  a  different  type  ot  house. 


liesign  comes  from  the  custom  ot  observing 
the  traditions  in  building.  Ilannony  of 
lolor  comes  largely  from  the  use  of  local 
building  materials. 

Each  building  material  hxs  a  color  of  its 


57 


I  Hi:  IlONKSl    HOLSE 


own.  Naturt-  endows  it  with  that  color. 
The-  lominon  buililin^  .stonts  such  as  linic- 
stom-,  sanil.st«)nr,  -iranitf  ami  niarblr  all  have 
their  characteristic  colors.  Bricks,  thouj^h 
artiticial  in  that  they  are  niaiie  by  man,  pre- 
serve the  natural  c«)lor  ot  the  sami  and  clay 
that  pMS  with  them.  Wood,  the  common- 
est building;  material  ot  all,  has  its  pleasant 
ranj^e  of  neutral  colors,  but  unfortunately  we 
;Lss«Hiafe  wooti  always  with  paint,  and  so  the 
valu«'  of  its  natural  color  is  rarely  seen. 

It  is  extremely  dillicult  to  consider  color  in 
its  relation  to  architecture,  for  color  lies  so 
much  in  the  eye  of  the  beholder.  And  it  is 
diHicult  to  convey  an  idea  concerning;  the  use 
of  color  through  the  medium  ot  a  black  and 
white  jiage.  To  many  people  "color"  sug- 
gests instantly  paint,  something  applied  to 
the  surface  of  the  house.  To  others,  "color" 
is  an  elastic  temi  including  a  hundred  things 
— the  effect  of  the  house  and  its  entourage, 
the  color  Nature  has  given  and  man  has  ap- 
pli<d. 

It  you  seek  to  anahze  the  spell  that  your 
tavorite  house  always  casts  upon  you,  you 
will  find  that  much  of  its  fascination  lies  in 
the  harmony  of  color  of  the  house  and  its 
detaihs,  its  surroundings.  You  have  prob- 
ably treasured  such  a  house  in  your  imagina- 
tion, a  house  that  seemed  exactly  right  to 
}ou.  It  may  have  been  a  pink  stucco  house 
in  the  Azores,  or  a  salmon-colored  villa  in 
Sicily,  or  a  dove-colored  Knglish  cottage 
with  velvety  thatched  roof.  It  may  have 
bi-cii  nearir  home,  an  old  whitewashed, 
broad-shingled  farmhouse  in  a  pink  and 
white  apple  orchard,  or  a  cottage  of  clap- 
boards silvered  by  the  weather,  with  masses 
ot  hollyhocks  crowding  against  it.  Wher- 
ever you  saw  it.  it  entered  into  your  soul  and 
became  a  vision  to  be  cherished;  and  vou 


planned  a  some-da)-  house  very  much  like  it. 
I'lie  point  is,  )  ou  considered  die  green  ot  the 
trees  and  vines  and  grass,  the  hues  of  the 
flowers,  the  very  clouds  and  sky,  along  with 
the  house.  It  was  the  harmony  of  color  that 
got  into  your  memory  and  staged  there. 
EIs(;  why  do  we  not  go  into  ecstasies  over 
the  houses  we  see  in  winter^  We  don't. 
Ideal  houses  are  visualized  in  full  color. 

You  nvA\  succeed  in  avoiding  all  the  com- 
mon pitfalls  of  design  so  far  as  your  anlii- 
tectural  detail  is  concerned  and  rh(  n  wreck 
your  house  by  the  use  ot  bad  color.  You 
can  avoid  this  only  by  studying  assiduously 
the  possibilities  of  your  house  and  its  rela- 
tion to  the  neighboring  houses.  It  your 
place  is  large  enough,  ot  course  the  neighbor- 
ing houses  need  not  enter  into  your  consid- 
eration at  all.  Then  you  can  work  out  a 
harmony  of  house  and  garden  that  will  de- 
clare your  good  sense  and  }(>ur  understand- 
ing of  the  community  in  which  )()u  live. 

One  of  the  finest  examples  ot  a  color  plan 
in  our  architecture  is  the  country  place  of  Mr. 
.Albert  Herter  at  East  Hampton,  Long  Island. 
Here  is  a  large,  rambling  house,  built  so 
close  to  the  sea  that  the  blue-green  of  the 
water  and  the  clear  blue  of  the  sk}-  are  de- 
liberately considered  as  a  part  of  the  color 
plan.  Mr.  Herter's  idea  was  to  get,  if  possi- 
ble, the  eifect  of  a  house  in  Sicily,  and  so  he 
built  the  house  ot  [)inkish  jellow  stucco  and 
gave  it  a  copper  roof.  The  sea  winds  have 
softened  the  texture  and  deepened  the  color 
ot  the  walls  to  salmon,  and  the  copper  roof 
has  been  transformed  into  ever-changing  blue 
greens  that  repeat  the  colors  of  the  sea.  In 
front  of  the  house  there  are  terraces  massed 
with  flowers  of  orange  and  yellow  and  red, 
and  back  of  the  house  there  is  a  Persian  gar- 
den built  aroimd  blue  and  green  Persian  tiles. 


?8 


CONXKRMNG  COLOR 


Plioiojiraph    liv    l.ilii.in    l>.iMie>   Grirtiii.      Slee  &    BrvMHi,    .\riliii<-ci>. 
This   stucco   house    at    Tokonckc,    Connecticut,    shows    viviil    conlrasis   of   cohjr   which    arc    fascinatinj;.     A   maw   of 
black-green   ivy  climbs  over  the  creamy  stucco.     Note  the   ruKReilness  of  the   plain  walls  and  the  sense  of   graceful   in- 
timacy  which   is  given   by  the   Italian   bas-relief  on   the  ivied   wall. 


and  great  blue  Italian  jars.  Here  flowers  ot 
blue  and  rose,  and  the  amethyst  tones  in  be- 
tween, are  allowed.  Black  green  trees  and 
shrubs  are  used  everywhere,  with  the  general 
effect  of  one  of  Maxticld  Parrish's  vivid 
Oriental  gardens. 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  this  intoxicating  har- 
mony of  color  to  a  shabby  genteel  villa  ot  an 
Italian  peasant  on  the  Long  Island  railway, 
but  somehow  the  [leasant's  house  seems  al- 
most as  wonderful  to  nu-.  it  i^  so  tranklx  a 
courageous    attempt    at    realizing    an    iileal 


houM-.  1  p.i>>  the  house  every  day,  ami  in 
tiie  few  seconds  it  is  within  my  >ight  I  liml 
new  pleasures,  a  new  amusement. 

The  house  is  a  large,  sijviarish  box,  s|>ang 
atrainst  the  railway  tracks,  but  it  iKi>  Ix-en 
treated  as  seriously  as  if  it  were  an  imiMising 
\  ill.i  with  spreading  acres.  A  higli  wall  cov- 
en il  with  stucco  has  been  liuilt  to  encl«»se  the 
\aril,  which  the  ambitious  owner  is  strug- 
gling to  make  into  a  real  ganlen  despite  the 
ciiulers  and  .smoke  and  heat.      In  the  mean- 


time, huge  coloreil  vases  at  least  a  story  high 


^'9 


nil:  iioNKsr  iioi  si: 

havf  bct-n  |>:iintcil  on  the  walls  of  tlic  house,  farmliouse,   jiaintecl   white   with   dark  preen 

vases  with  spiral-like  leaves  and  Howers  in  blinds,   but  ot   a   whiteness  which  onl)    the 

j;ay    colors.     On    the    lar;:e    •,'ate    posts    are  li^ht   ot    heaven   can    etjual.      It    is    a    cold 

clumsy  urns,  with  tVebh-  Howers  f,'rowinf;  in  white,   with  a  bluish  cast,   ant!   a^'ainst  the 

tlu-ni.     The  ^'ate  itself  is  a  stranjje  affair  of  dark  greens  of  surrounding  trees  it  shocks  one 

odds  anil  emls  of  iron  patched  together,  but  with  its  intensity  and  austerity. 

what  nuitterV     On  the  arbor  real  grajie  vines  Let  your  gra)s  antl  )-our  whites  be  warm, 

grow,   and   the   vegetable  garden   gives   real  and  \()ur  (tfccts  will  be  happ}.       The  white 

color.  needs  onl\    to  have  a  blush  ot  yellow   in  it 

.•\  hudille  of  little  out-houses,  "dependen-  to  take  away  the  fro/en  aspect,  but  that 
cies,"  runs  along  one  wall,  and  I  am  sure  they  slight  blush  is  what  makes  the  difference  be- 
are  somehow  a  part  of  the  dream.  The  tween  amiability  and  harshness.  Avoid 
dream,  by  the  way  is  clear  to  me:  here  is  a  bluish  tones  always,  tor  they  give  an  impres- 
pros|M-rous  Italian  who  has  always  had  a  sion  of  bleakness.  This  is  a  matter  perhaps 
vision.  Prosperit)  gave  him  courage  to  ac-  ot  psycholog}-,  but  certainly  it  is  none  the  less 
complish  the  villa  that  nuist  be  as  much  like  true  that  we  always  associate  our  ideas  of 
an  old-country  estate  as  possible.  In  the  winter  and  ot  the  coKi  landsca[)e  with  bluish 
frankest,  simplest  fashion  he  has  set  to  work  colors.  And  so  with  tlie  somber  tones  in  our 
to  embellish  his  house  and  his  wall  in  the  gay  stone  and  brick  and  stucco  walls. 
color  that  expresses  his  ha{)piness.  All  But,  after  all,  the  natural  colors  as  they 
around  him  are  hideous  little  mustard  col-  occur  in  the  different  building  materials, 
ored  shoe-box  cottages  of  clapboards,  with  such  as  stone  ami  brick,  are  all  relatively 
not  a  twig  or  a  tree  for  solace,  but  they  do  subdued.  Probabl}-  jou  think  of  an  excep- 
not  iliscourage  him.  Somehow  he  has  ac-  tion  to  thi.s,  and  remind  me  of  the  bright 
complished  a  splash  of  real  interest  and  good  colors  of  certain  marbles.  We  do  not,  how- 
color  in  a  ding}-  railway  yard,  and  I  rejoice  ever,  use  these  marbles  in  everj-  chn-  houses, 
with  him  and  wish  we  had  more  like  him.  and  our  common  building  materials  are  not 

The  charm  of  the  cities  of  Spain  and  Italy  endowed  with  brilliant  colors.     Even  if  the\- 

and  ot  warm  countries  generally,  lies  in  the  are  sometimes  strong  and  displeasing,   time 

ever  i)resent  evidence  of  warm  colors.     Th<-  ami    weather    gradually    soften    their    bad 

tones  of  the  walls  are   light, — light  grays,  qualities.     The    real    color    i)robl(in    of   the 

pale  yellows,  pale  pinks  and  greens,  and  the  usual  small  house  is  the  painter  and  his  paint. 

appeal   to  the  sense  of  beauty   which   they  In  the  field  of  artificial  color,   the  possi- 

make  is  irresistible.  bilities    for    ugliness    are    unlimited.     The 

In  the  temperate  climate  in  which  most  of  colors  which  the  house  painter  can  wallow 

us  live,  we  run  to  two  extremes.     In  New  in  range  from  the  deepest  j)iratical  black  to 

England,  where  granite  is  plentiful,  one  sees  the  most  screaming  vermilion,  and  whereas 

frequently   the  house  of  a  bluish   steel-col-  nature  endows  each  building  with  one  color, 

ored  cut  stone,  than  which  there  is  nothing  the  painter  can  make  your  house  look  like  a 

more  gloomy  in  the  whole  world.     Then  on  kaleidoscope  in  a  few  days'  time. 

the  other  hand,  there  is  the  New  England  The  ordinary  house  painter,   armed  with 

60 


COXCKRNING  COLOR 


three  pots  of  different  colored  paints,  varies 
only  slightly  from  a  maniac  in  his  conception 
of  decoration. 

We  have  all  seen  rows  of  small  wooden 
cottages,  badly  built  and  badly  designed, 
that  became  relatively  attractive  by  being 
painted  in  one  uniform  color.  The  same  cot- 
tages painted  in  bright  reds,  greens,  purples 
and  browns  look  more  frightful  than  words 
can  tell. 

Good  advice  to  follow  is  this:  if  you  have 
a  shingled  house,  it  is  well  to  let  the  shingles 
take  a  natural  weatherstained  color.     If  it  is 


necessar}'  to  give  them  protection  stain  them 
with  some  silver  gray  stain  which  appro.xi- 
mates  the  weathered  effect.  Or  you  can 
paint  the  shingles.  Generally  speaking  white 
is  best  for  the  shingled  walls,  and  with  this 
you  can  have  your  outside  shutters,  your 
flower  bo.xes,  and  your  lattice  work  painted 
warm  tones  of  brown  or  gray  or  grci  n.  It 
is  best  to  paint  the  whole  house  uniformly, 
save  for  these  details. 

For  the  ordinary  simple  house  of  clap- 
boards, no  color  combination  has  been  found 
more    satisfactorj'    than    white    walls    with 


I'liarlr"  Karcun  Krrn,  .Artliiicct. 
The  restful  impression  given  by  these  houses  at  SiraHord,  near  PhilaJelphia,  is  due  to  their  hjrmony  oj  color  aiul  form. 

61 


nil,  HONKS  1  HorsE 


shutters  ot  some  prccnisli  c()lt)r.  li  you  I(<1 
yourself  at  all  unicrtain  on  tlu-  matter  ot 
color,  paint  your  house  white.  Avoid  heavy 
colors  like  chixolatc,  slate  fjray,  ami  ret!  tor 
the  colors  ot"  your  walls.  Don't  be  afraid 
to  have  youT  house  conform  to  the  liouses 
t)f  your  n<ij^hbors.  Don't  think  that  you  pet 
artistic  distinction  hy  making  your  own  house 
an  eyesore.  If  your  ornament  is  unstudied 
and  bad,  to  silhouette  it  by  usinp  two  con- 
trasting; colors,  is  simply  to  make  your  house 
a  thousand  times  more  hideous  than  it  need 
be.  In  the  days  when  cheap  wcxhIi  ii  orna- 
luent  of  the  jij^-saw,  j;in;,'erbread  t\  pe  was 
prevalent  it  was  customary  to  emphasi/.e  this 
ornament  by  the  use  of  paints  of  different 
color. 

Even  if  your  trim  is  {^ood,  it  is  best  not  to 
emphasize  it.  In  no  other  way  can  you 
make  }our  house  look  cheaji  so  <]uickly  as  to 
afflict  it  with  stripes  and  rectangles  of 
j)ainted  trim.  The  roof  has  one  color,  the 
walls  another,  and  the  shutters  and  doors 
have  still  auother.  That  is  enouj^h.  Noth- 
in-,'  is  more  unpleasant  than  a  house  with  the 
first-story  walls  painted  one  color,  the  second 
story  another,  the  trianpilar  sjiace  of  the 
fjable  ends  another.  Such  houses  have  been 
called  the  '"shirt-waist-and-skirt-houses."  and 
the  term  fits.  They  are  usually  further 
embellished  by  painting  the  piazza  lattice 
and  railing  still  another  color,  and  of  course 
the  roof  has  something  awful  to  declare  be- 
fore the  color-plan  is  finished.  Often  you 
will  see  such  a  house  sitting  impudently  be- 
tween two  self  resjiecting  colonial  houses, 
affording  a  contrast  which  only  a  blind  per- 
son could  l(K>k  upon  without  shuddering.  I 
shall  never  forget  passing  such  a  house  in 
a  sweet  old  village  on  Cajie  Cod,  where  its 
verj  existence  was  a  libel.     A  little  South- 


ern girl  was  with  me,  and  though  none  of  us 
sail!  a  wori.1,  she  looked  at  the  house,  sniffed, 
and  said,  "It  looks  like  a  nigger  preacher's 
house!" 

It  is  a  great  misfortune,  this  lack  of  con- 
sideration of  our  neighbors.  For  Ux)  long 
we  have  ignored  them.  Eacii  man  has  built 
as  he  ])leased.  Beside  a  house  ot  the  Eng- 
lish style  he  has  erected  one  of  the  formal 
classic  colonial  type,  and  his  neighbor  has 
built  a  house  ot  the  Spanish  mission  tj  pe,  and 
so  on,  thus  producing  a  disharmonious  jum- 
ble of  color  and  design. 

Happil),  this  reckless  disregard  of  neigh- 
borhood is  passing.  We  are  beginning  to 
co-operate,  to  pull  our  little  towns  into  pleas- 
ant completeness.  There  are  several  garden 
cities  already  begim,  planned  on  the  English 
and  continental  schemes,  and  at  least  one 
town  is  far  enough  along  to  be  an  object  les- 
-son  to  thousands  of  people.  This  is  Forest 
Hills  Gardens,  Long  Island,  a  niucli  misun- 
derstood communit}-  that  owes  its  being  to 
the  Sage  Foundation. 

The  popular  conception  of  this  place  is 
that  it  is  a  model  village  for  working  men. 
It  would  be  much  more  interesting  if  it  were, 
b>it    unfortunately    land    in    the    immediate 


Too  many  colors  are  used.  The  columns  are  hadly 
spaced  and  like  the  stone  wall,  they  are  out  of  keeping 
with  the  rest  of  the  house. 


CONCKRMXG  COLOR 


Photograph  by  Lillian   Ijj  ...l     i    ..::.i.  ..   1 

The  first  floor  of  Mr.  Gooilnow's  house  at  Forest  Hill-  Clardens  is  very  near  the  ground.  This  gives  an  impren- 
sion  of  intimacy  and  informality  on  entering.  The  house  looks  as  though  it  grew  out  of  its  surroundings.  Note  the 
admirable  texture  of  the  stucco.  The  wooilwork  of  the  p;)rch  is  stained  a  deep  brown,  the  tiles  are  red  and  the 
stucco   is   a    light   gray,    tinged    with   the   slightest    suggestion  of  green. 

vicinity  of  X<-vv' York  i.-^  r(Ki  ex|unsivc  to  per-  cntrrpn.-c    ^.turcsstul.      You   may   object    to 

niit  the  charniin^  cottajje  coIoni«\s  .so  success-  heinj;  restricted  yourself,  but  it  is  heavenly 

tull\     fostered    in    Enj^hind.      Forest    Hills  to  know  that   \()iir  neighbors  are  re.stricted 

Gardens   is   within   nine   miles,    and   fifteen  as  to  color,  antl  d(siL:n,  ami  the  many  thinfp 

minutes,  of  the  heart  of  New  York,  and  this  that  are  .so  unpleasant  at  clo.se  ran^'e.     Ytni 

means  that  a  man  must  [lay  as  nnich  for  the  are  willinfj;  to  pay  more  lor  a  .small   house 

little  bit  of  pround  on  which  he  would  builii.  that  fits  into  its  landscape,  its  neij:hborhiHHi, 

as  a  pood  house  would  cost  in  a  more  remote  than  \i>u  wouKl  pay  tor  a  very  nuich  larjjrr 

community.      But   then-   are   enout,'h   people  house  in  a  town  where  every  liouse  is  a  law 

who  appreciate  the  excellence  of  a  little  town  unto  itself. 

that  is  planned  for  the  future  to  make  the  Much    of    the    chanu    of    Forest    Hills 

63 


llli;  HONKST  HOUSE 


Gardt-ns  comrs  from  thf  color  of  the  ma- 
terials used.  Some  ot  the  color  is  un- 
doubtedly unfortunate,  but  as  all  the  houses 
must  be  fireproof  this  makes  for  excellent 
color.  Firepr(H)f  houses  are  most  commonly 
expressed  in  brick  or  stucco,  which  almost 
always  have  j;;(H)d  color  and  |)leasinji  texture. 
If  your  stucco  pocs  wronp,  jou  can  tint  it. 
If  your  bricks  arc  uj^ly  in  tone,  you  can 
whitewash  them.  Good  color  is  always  easy 
to  obtain  in  such  materials. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  build  wooden 
houses  close  together  and  get  a  harmonious 
effect.  Indecil,  we  ncall  very  few  success- 
ful streets  of  wooden  houses,  except  the 
quaint  old  village  streets  that  are  lined  with 
rows  of  gray  and  white  and  faded  green 
houses,  pulled  together  comfortably  by  old 
trees  and  placid  gardens.  But  when  you  be- 
gin assembling  houses  that  are  vertical  ratlicr 
than  horizontal  in  expression,  you  Iki\c  a 
difficult  problem.  The  architects  who  have 
planned  Forest  Hills  Gardens  had  this  prob- 
lem to  solve.  They  do  not  permit  three  or 
four  houses  to  be  built  on  a  line,  for  instance. 


The  two  enil  ones  maj-  be  set  near  the 
street,  and  the  two  inner  ones  set  far  back  to- 
ward the  edge  of  the  lots,  and  so  a  pleasing 
irregularity  is  gained.  Houses  ot  timber 
anil  I )1  aster,  houses  of  a  composition  cement 
of  dull  browns  and  reds,  houses  of  brick  and 
held  stone  antl  stucco  are  all  there,  but  the 
architects  have  decreed  that  all  the  roofs 
shall  be  of  red  tile,  and  so  the  comnumity  is 
united.  As  one  of  the  architects  says,  the 
little  houses  are  all  satisfyingly  different,  but 
their  roofs  are  all  singing  the  same  tune. 

As  with  the  house  design,  so  with  the 
garden.  Each  garden  is  considered  as  a  part 
of  a  perfected  plan,  and  the  planting  around 
the  house  assumes  its  proper  importance  as 
a  iiart  ot  the  picture.  The  result  is  a  de- 
lightful mass  of  color  that  will  grow  finer 
alwa)s.  As  ivy  covers  the  houses  and  the 
gay  little  gardens  grow  up  around  them  we 
shall  have  a  fine  exposition  of  wliat  may 
come  to  pass  when  every  man  considers  his 
neighbor. 

In  the  meantime,  most  people  arc  forced 
to  live  in  neighborhoods  that  have  grown 


Compare  this  restless  row  of  badly  designed  houses  with  the  street  of  modest  white  houses  on  page  6i.     Compare 
them  also  with  the  group  of  houses  on  page  65. 

64 


CONCERNING  COLOR 


-^j^'^?^. 


Wilson   Eyre.   Arcliiirct. 
These   houses,   built  at   Forest   Hills  Gardens,   are   grouped  so  that  all  share  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  enclosed  ({'"■• 
den.     A  detail   of  the   house   at   the   ripht   is  shown  on  page  63.     The  middle  house  is  a  twin  house. 

without  plan,   and  must  make  the  most  of  hints,   because  each   hou^e  presents   its  own 

situations  that  are  most  discoura^in<:;.     You  special     ditliculties.     Nevertluless     whether 

may  have  boufjht  a  lot  with  a  magenta  house  your  house  is  of  stone  or  brick  or  shinjjle  or 

of  man\  rurrets  on  one  siiit  ot  it,  and  on  the  stucco,  there  are  certain  combinations  which 

other  a  sprawlin<:;  house  of  mustard  )tllow  it  is  well  to  a\()id.     These  combinations  arc 

stucco,  and  terrible  tiles  of  a  red  that  swears  tho.se  maile  li\    tlie  asstx'iation  ot  unctMuple- 

at  the  ma;,'enta.     What  sort  of  house  can  mentary  colors. 

von  buiKi  that  will  soften  tin-  vul;4ar  conflict  "S'ou    know    wliat   is  meant  when   we  say 

of  \()ur  neighbors'  houses"?     How  can   \<)u  rliat  crim.son  and  .scarlet  clash,  tiiat  they  do 

separate  }()ur  own  liouvc  from  it- ill-bred  fel-  not    look    well     to<:ether.      I'nder    oniinary 

lowsV  conditions  this  is  true  ot  .-carlet  ami  crimson. 

Of  course  the  oiih   real  separation  possible  brcau-e  tiny  are  not  complementary  colors. 

is   planting:; — trees   ami   shrubs   and   hed-:es.  WW.w  are  the  complementary  colors  then. 

But  after  you  have  done  all  you  can  with  the  ami  how  shall  we  know  them?     This  could 

frame  of  the  picture  that  is  your  house,  you  be  answen  tl  simply  by  giving  a  pterence  to 

must  study  color  as  relatetl  to  the  neighbor-  any  text  book  on  |>hysics,  but  text  bo«iks  of 

ing  houses  lictorc  \nu  tan  l'o  aiu  ad.  that    kiiul    arc    alwavs    forbiiliiing.      Briefly, 

As  to  the  matt(  r  of  clioosing  Aour  colors,  the  theory  of  colt>r  is  this:   white  light,  or 

it  is  po.ssilih'  iiere  to  give  onl\    the  slightest  sunlight,  is  maiie  up  of  seven  or.  we  may  say, 

6c 


IHE  HONKST  HOLSE 


six  colors.  ThfSf  ;irr  tailed  the  colors  of 
the  spcctriini.  Vou  see  these  colors  in  the 
rainlx)w,  or  throuj^h  a  [)rism  of  f^lass. 

There  are  three  primary  colors,  red,  blue, 
anil   yellow;   tlic   secondary   colors,   orani^e. 


17^ 


OX/iAVS/ /_  L. 


\pl7y^j:s 


YxLLour 


^/:ir£ 


L 


(;kj:^.^'- 


violet  and  preen,  may  be  derived  b\-  the  com- 
bination of  the  primar}-  colors.  Thus  if  we 
have  some  blue  paint  and  some  yellow,  we 
can  mix  them  and  the  resulting  color  will  be 
preen.  In  rhe  figure  on  this  page,  yellow, 
blue,  and  red,  each  at  an  apex  of  the  tri- 
angle, represent  the  primary  colors;  green, 
orange,  purple,  which  form  another  triangle, 
are  the  secondary  colors.  Thus,  if  you  will 
notice,  green  lies  half  way  between  blue  and 
yellow,  orange  half  way  between  red  and 
yellow,  and  violet  half  way  between  blue 
and  red.  Now  those  colors  are  comple- 
mentary which  lie  diametrically  opposite  each 
other.  Thus  orange  is  complementary  to 
blue,  purple  to  yellow  and  red  to  green. 
These  colors  can  be  used  successfully  to- 
gether, that  is,  side  by  side.     The  nearer  two 


colors  approach,  such  as  green  and  orange, 
or  )ellow  and  orange,  the  more  difficult  they 
are  to  use  together. 

Many  difficulties  will  probably  present 
themselves  to  your  mind  I  First  for  in- 
stance, that  there  are  a  dozen  different  reds, 
and  a  dozen  different  blues,  and  so  forth. 
\\  hiili  of  these  are  )ou  to  take  as  the 
stanilanl  for  comparison"^  The  answer  to 
this  is  found  in  the  spectrum.  The  yellow 
which  forms  the  standard  is  that  }ellow 
w  hich  has  no  green  ami  no  orange.  And  so 
for  the  other  colors. 

Another  difKculty  is,  how  do  we  account 
for  such  colors  as  gray  and  brown  V  These 
are  composite  colors,  and  if  you  w\\\  look 
closely  at  a  gray  you  will  see  that  it  is  a  blue- 
gray,  or  a  yellow-gray,  or  a  red-gray,  and 
so  with  the  browns.  Thus  these  so-called 
neutral  colors  may  be  considered  as  ha\ing 
the  color  of  that  primary  color  which  is  most 
{prominent  in  them,  and  associated  accord- 
ingly. 

This  explanation  is  of  course  very  incom- 
plete; the  science  of  the  combination  of 
colors  is  involved  and  difficult.  But  if  we 
can  be  content  with  simple  color  combina- 
tions, we  have  nothing  to  fear  and  much  to 
gain.  It  takes  an  artist  to  j)lan  a  house  of 
many  colors,  but  any  of  us  can  accomplish 
a  house  of  some  soft  tone,  with  individual 
detail  of  colored  lattices,  or  shutters,  or 
what-not,  to  satisfy  the  personal  equation. 
With  a  background  of  neutral  tone,  we  can 
experiment  with  occasional  splashes  of  bril- 
liant color  in  our  gardens,  and  here,  after  all, 
is  where  vivid  color  really  belongs. 


66 


rr:-i*scc5»»Zrt-/;; 


i»_ 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  MATERIALS 


IT  is  all  verj^  well  to  tell  a  man  that  a 
masonry  house  is  cheaper  in  the  long 
run  than  a  wooden  one.  But  the  run 
is  so  long!  The  immediate  necessity  is  so 
imperative  I  It  is  hard  to  convince  a  man 
who  has  only  so  much  money  to  spend,  and 
who  wants  a  lot  for  his  money,  that  he 
should  wait  until  he  can  build  a  fireproof 
house. 

He  knows  that  masonr}-  construction  is 
more  durable  ami  from  certain  points  of 
view  more  sanitar}'.  Brick,  terra  cotta,  field 
stone,  or  concrete  will  make  a  house  that  will 
last  beyond  his  time  with  little  necessity  for 
further  outlay.  But  he  sees  all  about  him 
the  wooden  cottages  of  people  who  lived  a 
hundred  years  ago.  These  cottages  have 
lasted.  They  are  attractive.  The  price  ot 
building  such  a  house  is  not  prohibitive. 
These  are  the  arguments  with  whidi  he  ciin- 
soles  himself. 

Still,  the  cost  of  a  house  should  he  figured 
as  an  investment  of  capital.  The  cost  of 
painting  clapboards  or  siding,  and  ot  re- 
shingling,  is  large.  Six  hundred  dollars 
extra  to  build  of  brick  means  thirty  dollars 


a  )ear  interest.  To  keep  a  wood  house 
painted  means  as  nuich  as  this,  and  there 
will  be  repairs  in  addition,  to  say  nothing 
of  depreciation  in  value. 

^^  hen  the  insurance  companies  reach  a 
stage  ot  intelligence  (and  they  are  leading 
the  people  in  this),  it  will  be  considered  good 
business  not  only  to  build  the  walls  of  ma- 
sonr\.  but  to  build  the  house  fireiiroof 
throughout.  Wc  burn  up  some  three  mil- 
lion dollars'  worth  of  pro|iert\'  jxr  annum, 
and  insurance  does  n't  pa)-  for  a  cent  of  the 
loss — it  only  makes  us  pay  for  our  own  care- 
lessness and  the  carelessness  of  others. 

We  are  agreed  that  on  all  practical  [xiints 
of  view,  save  that  of  initial  cost,  masonry 
construction  has  the  advantage  over  wood 
frame  construction.  I^uf  from  the  |>oint  of 
view  of  appearance,  the  matter  is  not  so 
easily  settled.  The  oUl  clapboard  Colonial 
house  with  its  white  i>aint<d  \vall>  ami  its 
green  shutters  remains  one  ot  the  nu>st 
charming  expressions  of  small  house  archi- 
tecture. 

.\  house  buililer  umier  primitive  condi- 
tions built  his  hou.sc  of  local  materials,  and 


67 


THE  HONKST  HOl'SE 


a  ^Ttat  many  historual  >t\  Us  wtrc  iltvflo|utl 
in  rlif  iiuitrrial.s  »>r  rapabilities  wliich  were 
touiul  in  the  Iixality.  'Hh-  diHiculty  of 
trans|Hirtation  toned  builders  to  use  their 
inj;enuity  in  solving:  their  probh-ms.  We 
do  not  have  to  do  tliis  to-day.  As 
an  instance,  the  early  builders  of  Colo- 
nial houses  in  this  country  li;ul  to  im[)ort 
some  of  their  buildin;^  material  trom  Eng- 
land. The  facilities  for  traas|H)rtation  were, 
however,  v«t\  feeble,  consecjiuntly  Colonial 
builders  had  to  turn  to  local  materials  to 
satisfy  their  needs.  The  cheapest  and 
easiest  material  to  get  was  wchkI,  which  was 
plentiful  and  of  ven,'  good  quality,  whereas 
in  the  P^iropean  countries  it  was  both  scarce 
and  expensive.  Wooden  houses  therefore 
sprang  up  all  over  the  Colonies  as  a  result  of 
the  economic  situation. 

Today  the  facilities  of  transportation  are 
so  great  and  the  number  of  building  ma- 
terials so  multiplied  that  there  is  a  tempta- 
tion to  build  largely  from  a  surplus  of  ma- 
terial. The  supply  ot  wood  is  of  course 
diminishing,  and  is  forcing  the  builders  to 
use    some    form    of    masonr\-    construction. 


This  is,  in  some  ways,  a  very  good  thing, — • 
it  has  a  tendency  to  produce  a  more  solid 
architecture! 

In  coming  to  the  matter  of  materials  in 
which  we  can  express  ourselves,  there  is  a 
variety  to  choose  from.  Suppose  you  build 
a  frame  hou.se;  you  can  express  its  exterior 
in  stucco,  claj)board,  .shingle,  or  half  timber. 
If  )ou  build  a  masonr}'  house  its  exterior  can 
be  expressed  in  stucco,  brick,  or  stone.  Each 
of  these  materials  has  its  own  character,  its 
own  limitations,  ami  its  own  application. 
The  eye  judges  the  house  by  its  appearance, 
rather  than  its  construction. 

The  use  of  shingles  for  exterior  covering 
is,  one  might  almost  say,  indigenous  with 
America.  If  shingles  were  ever  used  in 
England  and  the  European  countries  gen- 
erally, they  had  long  given  away  to  the  use 
of  slate  and  other  materials  by  the  time  of 
the  colonization  of  this  countr\.  The 
forests  of  our  new  world  offered  such  an 
abundant  supply  of  wood  that  the  wooden 
frame  house  with  its  shingle  or  clapboarded 
exterior  was  a  natural  and  easy  develop- 
ment.     Until  something  like  fifty  years  ago. 


When   this  attractive  old   house   at   Hartsdale,   Nc^v   York,  was  buih,  there  was  a  plentiful  supply  of  shingles  of 
good    quality.     They    were    more    durable    than    the    shingles  you  can  buy  nowadays. 

68 


THE  MATKRIALS 


Eugene  J.  I.ann,  Architect. 
This  house  for  tlie  Misses  McVeaii  at  Great  Neck,  Long  Island,   is   unusual   in    its   design   and   cliarming   in    its 
simplicity. 

wood  was  Still  plcntitul,  ami  no  oiu-  thought  piiu'  tn-es.  lit-  was  called  a  visionary!     Had 

of  the  danger  ot  its  iMcoinin^  scarce.  there  been  a   few  such   visionaries  about   a 

As  late  as  1870  hardl\  any  one  thought  of  hundred   years   apo   we   would   have   hail   a 

jilanting  new   trees   to   replace   those   which  system  ot  forestry  insuring  the  countr\   with 

were  being  so  ruthlessly  cut  ilown.      In  the  a    rotation    in    the    prtniuction    t>t     hnnl>er. 

European  countries  the  forestry   regulations  We  should  be  sure  ot  getting  wchkI  ot  giKnl 

have  been  in  force  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  quality,  cut  troni  large  trees  instead  ot  hav- 

wood   has  been   greatly   pri/.cil   for  .so  long  ing  to  u.se  wckkI  cut   troni  small   trees  still 

tliar  ir  has  become  an  establislutl  custom  to  tilled  with  sap  and  thentore  being  imperma- 

plaiu  a  tree  wIk  11  an()th<  i-  is  cut  down.          •  nent   for  building  purpo.ses.     Only   recently 

So   far    from   bt  ing   appreciated    was   this  have  measures  been  taken  by  the  government 

attituile    in   this   country   that   when,   about  for  the  increase  of  our  tore.>-f>.  ami  tor  re- 

1870,  a  New  Englander,  inspiretl  by  the  sys-  fore.station. 

ti  ni  of  forestr\   j)ractised  in  France,  bought  What  is  the  bearing  of  this  on  shingles? 

a  number  of  ileserted  farms  in  New  Hamp-  Just  this:  that  whereas  shingle>  were  t>nie  a 

.shire,  and  pianteii  hundretls  of  thoiisamls  of  fairlv  durable  hou.sc  covering,  they  coim    n» 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


Photograph  by  Couiant.  Parker  Morse  Hooper,  Architect. 

Few   houses   in   America   have  so  much   quality   as  has  this   house   designed    for   Dr.   Abbott   at    Cornwall,    New 

Vork.     The  balcony  is  a  somewhat  daring  feature  but  it  is  beautifully    studied.     The    first    and    second    floor    plans 
are  shown  below. 

he  If.ss  and  less  so,  because  it  becomes  harder 
and  harder  to  j^et  them  of  good  cjiiality,  and 
of  sufficient  hngth. 

The  older  houses  were  shinpled  with  hand- 
split  shinj^les  about  eighteen  inches  long. 
These  can  still  be  obtained,  though  they  are 
expensive.  They  make  a  much  more  in- 
teresting house  covering  tlian  the  shorter 
machine  cut  shingles,  which  in  virtue  of  their 
retluced  length,  cannot  be  laid  so  as  to  ex- 
{iose  more  than  five  inches  to  the  weather. 
On  page  ^  is  shown  an  excellent  example 
ot  a  Colonial  house  with  hand-split  shingles 

70 


THE  MATERIALS 


laid  about  nine  inches  to  the  weather.  The 
effect  is  charming.  Wide  courses  of  shingles 
are  generally  more  attractive  than  the 
common  narrow  courses,  in  which  tlit; 
shingles  are  laid  only  six  inches  to  the 
weather. 

One  ot  the  commonest  misuses  ot  .shingles 
trom  the  point  ot  \ifw  ot  gootl  tiesign  is  seen 
in  the  attempt  to  rej)roduce  witii  them  elabo- 
rate architectural  torms.  Houses  of  dns 
t)  pe  belong  to  the  post-Kichardsonian  school 
ot  domestic  architecture,  common  to  tlic 
eighties,  but  happily  belonging  to  our 
past.  I  am  cjuite  sure  there  will  never  be 
another  epidemic  of  such  houses,  but  iin- 
fortunatel)'  many  of  them  are  still  with  us. 
They  are  seemingly  built  tor  inHammable 
purposes,  but  fire  has  passetl  thcni  b\.  and 
they  linger  to  torment  us. 

Another  misuse  of  shingles  is  the  would-be 
tlec()rati\e  scheme,  where  scalloped  shingles 
are  u.sed  along  with  ginger-bread  and  jig-saw 
work.  Nothing  could  be  more  ugly  or  more 
tri\ial.  Another  misuse  is  seen  in  the  com- 
bination of  shingles  witli  other  materials  for 
wall  covering,  a  familiar  sight  in  closely 
settled  suburbs,  where  the  lower  part  of 
every  house  is  clapboarded  antl  the  upper 
parr  shingled.  This  treatment,  b\  the  way, 
invariabl\-  invites  a  shocking  apjilicarion  ot 
paint. 

As  for  clapboards,  the  type  of  wide  clap- 
board used  in  the  old  Long  Island  tarm- 
houses  gives  an  excellent  effect,  tar  lutter 
than  the  type  of  narrow  clapboard  used  com- 
monly in  New  England.  \n  excellent  ex- 
am|)le  of  the  [iroper  use  of  the  wiile  weather 
clapboard  or  sitling  is  shown  in  Dr.  .\bbott'- 
house  at  Cornwall.  'I'lic  wide  lourses  giv< 
int<-rest  and  vigor  to  the  ta(^ad<-. 

In  the  real  ohl  English  houses  of  the  iialf 


timber  t)pe,  the  timbers  expressed  the  actual 
frame  construction  of  the  house.  These 
houses  were  constructed  of  heavy  joists,  and 
the  spaces  between  them  were  filled  in 
with  brick  and  sometimes  covered  with 
stucco.  In  our  modern  methods  we  have  n't 
the  honesty  ( or  perhaps  we  should  sa\  tiie 
money!)  to  use  real  timber  in  our  half- 
timbered  work.  We  frame  our  wooden 
houses  which  are  going  to  be  halt-timber  on 
the  exterior,  just  as  we  frame  them  when 
they  are  to  be  covered  with  a  shingle  or 
stucco,  and  then  we  appl\'  our  talse  halt- 
timber  to  our  frame.  This  false  half-timber 
work  consists  often  of  onh-  ">"  boards,  and 
uiulcr  the  action  of  the  weatlur  tii<y  tend 
to  twist  and  warp  and  go  to  pieces  generally, 
all  of  which  is  too  painfully  evident  if  one 
looks  somewhat  critically  at  most  ot  these 
houses. 

This  practice  of  false  half-timber  work  is 
not  altogether  reprehensible,  but  wlien  we 
have  a  modern  house  ot  real  timber  work 
built  as  is  the  \'anderbilt  Lodge,  there  is  a 
certain  satisfaction  in  viewing  it,  a  satisfac- 


lii  llii<i  old  Englith  lioii»c,  ihc  timlicr  work  c\prc»»c»  ihe 
actual   frame  conjiruclioii  of   llic  luui»e. 


rm:  honks r  hoi  sk 


tion  which  t.onif>  trmii  xcin^  :i  thiii;^  well 
ilonr. 

'I  tun-  arc  tvcT  so  many  stheiiu'S  jxissiblc 
in  th«-  hanillin^'  ot  halt-tinibt-r  lUroration. 
We  sav  dfcoration  rather  than  constnution, 
bfcause  the  real  const  met  itm  nt  our  lioiises 
is  concealed.  In  the  oM  Norman  work  tlie 
pattern  ot  the  halt  timber  was  the  natural 
expression  ot  the  construction.  Notice  that 
a  horizontal  piece  is  laid  under  the  sill  ot 
the  window  and  over  its  head:  similarly  the 
slanting  pieces  were  put  there  to  brace  the 
frame,  and  so  on.  Thcretore,  as  a  general 
rule  it  is  well  to  tiesign  a  halt  timber  house 
a.s  though  the  halt"  timber  had  a  nal  meaning 
structurally.  This  tends  to  make  the  design 
hxik  serious  and  reasonable. 

In  the  English  and  Norman  work,  the 
timbers  were  spaced  rather  do.se  together. 
This  was  done  because  it  gave  strength  and 
solidity  to  the  building.  In  some  ot  the 
mo<iern  .\merican  work  designed  b}-  un- 
trained builders  who  knew  nothing  of  the 
antecedents  ot  halt  timber  work,  the  design 
is  frequently  skimpy,  the  spaces  between  the 
false  timbers  too  great,  and  the  false  timbers 
have  no  apjiarent  structural  relation  to  the 
window   openings,   or   to  each   other.      Such 


lu)u.ses  usually  look  as  it  they  had  been 
striped  with  brown  pasteboard,  or  smooth 
satin  ribbons. 

The  use  of  stucco  is  very  oUl.  and  it  is 
used  very  generally  throughout  Kurope, 
largely  because  it  is  made  ot  lime,  and  lime 
is  abuntlant  every wture.  Moreover,  the  use 
of  stucco  on  masonr}  walls  has  a  distinct 
advantage  inasnuich  as  stucco  can  always  be 
re-applied,  and  an  old  house  made  new.  In 
this  countr}',  where  we  have  excessive  heat 
and  excessive  cold,  stucco  has  to  meet  diffi- 
cult conditions  of  expansion  and  contraction, 
and  it  is  consequently  still  somewhat  im- 
perfect. Still,  if  the  stucco  cracks  here  and 
there,  it  can  lie  patclied,  and  that  patch  in- 
stead of  being  ugly  is  often  a  picturesque  ad- 
dition. Certainly  much  of  the  charm  of  the 
old  European  stucco  houses  lies  in  their  bat- 
tered condition,  their  delightfully  varying 
color. 

There  is  a  sad  .superstition  in  America  that 
a  house  should  look  as  though  it  w-ere  taken 
out  of  a  band-box.  The  moment  it  becomes 
shabby  enough  to  be  interesting,  it  is  painted 
and  varnished  until  it  shines.  Of  course  we 
must  keep  our  houses  tidy — but  not  too  tidy. 
It  the}  are  of  wood,  we  have  to  repaint  them 


First  and  second  floor  plans  of  Mr.  Raymond's  house   at    Manchester. 


THE  MAI  I:RIAI,S 


Note   the    complete    lack   of    useless   decoration    in    this 
ter,   Massachusetts. 

lest  they  tail  to  pieces  under  the  attacks  of 
the  weather,  but  when  they  are  of  brick,  or 
stone,  or  stucco,  there  is  no  excuse  for 
our  frenzied  housech^aninj^.  People  actually 
fear  liown  the  shrubber}'  and  friendh'  \ines 
that  were  strufj^linj;  to  make  their  houses 
beautiful  in  order  to  apph'  a  new  and  un- 
necessary coat  of  paint! 

I  know  two  stucco  houses  of  approxi- 
mately the  same  cost  and  plan,  in  the  same 
town,  and  there  is  all  the  tiitference  in  the 
work!  to  any  one  possessed  of  the  seeing;  eye. 
One  house  was  planned  for  years  by  its 
owner,  and  fuially  the  plans  were  turned 
over  to  a  synijiathetic  architect.      The  hon-c 


James  Purden,  Architect, 
interesting    house   of    .Mr.    Robert    L.    Raymond    at    .Manchn- 


is  placed  as  close  as  |X)ssible  to  the  street, 
to  j;ain  privacy  tor  the  garden  in  the  rear. 
Tile  lon^  line  of  the  hoiL>^e  is  parallel  with 
the  street,  which  gives  it  addeii  inter<st.  And 
this  line  is  em[)hasi7.ed  by  a  wall  which  be- 
gins uniier  the  front  windows  and  runs  along 
jiast  the  end  ot  the  house,  enclosing  the  laun- 
dr\  \  ard.  The  house  sits  low  on  tiie  ground, 
and  although  it  is  not  \et  two  years  old,  it 
has  all  the  subtle  cliann  of  an  old  FInglish 
cottage.  The  texture  of  the  |)lasfer  is  very 
rough,  slappeii  on  by  a  ^kilhii  hand,  -.ind  just 
enough  black  was  put  into  the  creamy  mix- 
tun-  to  t.ike  away  the  "new"  ap|x-arance. 
I'Ih-  unobtru.sive  outer  trini  is  painted  a  neu- 


Tin:  IIONKST  HOUSE 


tral  blur-r:n-.  Thr  rvd  filed  root  has  the  work  beneath  the  first  floor  that  says  ob- 
tharactrr  ot  an  oKionr,  tor  the  tiles  have  not  viously,  'This  is  the  basement."  But  my 
that  unvarvin-  redness  that  is  so  dei>lorabh-.  main  quarrel  is  with  the  horrid  smoothness 
Brownish  ones,  and  purplish  ones,  and  black  of  the  stucco,  the  neat  yellow  expanse  that 
ones  have  been  sj>otted  amonp  the  dark  red  looks  more  like  the  eggshell  plastermg  ot  an 
to  give  a  shadowy  variation  of  color.  inr.rior    than    an    outside    wall    built    tor 

The  other  house  was  equally  well  planned,  weather.  The  trim  on  this  house  is  very 
but  it  has  been  set  at  right  angles  to  the  heavy,  verj-  much  emphasized,  and  it  is  ob- 
street,  so  that  you  get  an  impression  of  the  ^  iouslx-  false.  It  is  stained  an  even,  choco- 
bolt  upright  end  of  a  narrow  house.  It  sits  late  brown.  It  is  supposed  to  suggest  a  bit 
up  from  the  ground  with  a  deliberate  frame-     of  half  timber,  but  it  really  suggests  brown 

satin  ribbon,  neat  and  thin  and  temporary. 
The  roof  of  this  house  is  blatantly  red,  every 
tile  a  perfect  mate  to  its  neighbor.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  a  "new"  looking  house,  and 
should  be  quite  right  for  the  people  who 
wish  to  live  in  band-box-new  houses,  but 
even  to  the  unpractised  eye  it  is  disappoint- 
ing. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  good  design, 
the  main  difficulty  with  stucco  is  its  color, 
and  the  next  is  found  in  its  limitations  when 
used  otherwise  than  in  flat  surfaces.  In 
other  words,  stucco  is  not  adapted  for  the 
Miiall  house  unless  the  details  be  extremely 
>imple.  Nothing  is  more  disagreeable  than 
a  dark  bluish,  or  dark  brownish  colored 
stucco.  This  danger  can  be  obviated  usually 
li\-  the  use  of  white  sand  and  white  cement, 
for  it  is  essential  that  the  tone  be  light. 
Light  grays,  with  a  suggestion  of  yellow  or 
green,  are  warm  and  cheerful,  and  show  off 
stucco  at  its  best.  The  quaint  pink  stucco 
houses  of  Southern  France,  of  Italy,  of  the 
Azores,  and  of  so  many  fair  countries  are  not 
for  us,  for  their  color  is  tempered  bj-  climatic 
conditions,  but  we  may  at  least  aim  for  a 
pleasant  deepening  of  some  cream  or  gray 
tone. 

The    doorway    of    •■'Ilie    Cloibler>,"    an    old    liou>e    at  It    is    well    tO    keep    the    SUrfaceS    of    StUCCO 

Ephrata,  Pennsylvania.     The  stucco  is  of  good  color  and  n         i    ■        i  •      ■       i-rr>      i 

a  most  interesting  texture.  walls  plain,  because  it  IS  difficult  to  express 

74 


THE  MATERIALS 


Edward   U.  Cjilclirim.  Arcliiiccl. 

This  house  is  located  at   Si.  Marlins,   I'hiladelphia.     Note   ihe   large   areas  of  blank   wall,   the   inirreMiiit:   icxiiire 

of    the    stucco,    the    Hue   grouping   of    windows,    the    generous  proportions  and  mysterious  rliarm  of  the  arched  diKirway. 


detail  in  stucco  without  getting  into  trouble,  walls  arc  kept  severely  simple  ami  the  ile- 
It  is  worth  noticing  that  in  the  attractive  tail,  in  order  to  give  contrast  to  the  stucco, 
stucco    houses    of    English    architecture    the     is  found  in  the  dark  stained  wotxlen  cornices, 

7> 


THE  HONES  I    HUL  SE 


window  frames,  aiul  b:i\  windows.  Mr. 
Dow's  housf  shown  on  paj^c  ^y  is  a  beauti- 
ful illustration  ot  this  use  ot  detail. 

Brick  is  one  ot  the  most  attractive  of 
buildinji  materials,  provided  two  things  are 
observed:  the  brick  must  be  of  ^mkI  color 
and  it  must  have  good  te.xture.  The  brick 
used  in  the  early  houses  of  this  country  were 
im[H>rted  from  England,  and  wen  no  doubt 
imperfect  from  the  point  of  view  of  technical 
composition,  but  they  had  and  still  have 
more  attractiveness  than  the  majority  ot 
our  modern  bricks,  judged  at  least  by  our 
m(xi«m  standards.  Their  ver_\  imperfec- 
tion of  manufacture  gives  them  a  texture  and 
a  variety  of  color  which  is  extremely  inter- 
esting. This  is  also  true  of  the  first  bricks 
that  were  made  in  this  countr)-,  which  were 
crutle  in  color  and  texture,  and  therefore 
wonderful  in  composition  in  mass. 

About  1870  the  so-called  "water  pressed," 
or  smooth  faced  brick  came  into  use.  It  was 
smooth,  unvar)ing  in  color,  and  usually  of 
a  dead  salmon-colored  red.  During  the 
time  that  this  brick  was  in  fashion,  brick 
houses  were  unattractive,  so  tar  as  their 
design  depended  on  the  material.  Onh 
recently  has  it  become  recogni'/.ed  that  the 
variation  of  color  and  texture  in  a  brick  wall 
is  one  of  its  charms,  and  we  have  to-day  a 
variety  of  bricks  which  are  beautiful  in  their 
color  and  rough  texture.  The  best  of  these 
are  the  so-called  tapestrj-  brick. 

The  chief  mistake  in  the  use  ot  brick  is  in 
its  misuse  in  connection  with  stone.  Fre- 
quently brick  is  used  for  the  general  wall 
surfaces  of  the  house,  and  the  window  sills. 
heads,  trim,  and  so  forth,  are  made  of  terra 
cotta,  marble,  or  lime  stone.  Mr.  Greeley's 
house  at  Lexington,  Mass.,  is  an  example  of 
an  excellent  brick  house  which  is  quiet  and 


re|)oseful.  It  has  an  almost  complete  ab- 
sence of  stone  ornamentation.  Compare  it 
with  the  agitated  little  house  shown  on  this 
page  in  which  the  repose  is  all  lost  in  the  con- 
fusion created  by  the  stone  decoration. 

.\  house  should  be  one  thing  or  the  other; 
it  should  be  brick  or  stone.  One  of  these 
materials  should  predominate  if  it  is  to  be 
restful.  Nothing  is  more  vulgar  than  the 
emphasis  ot  decorative  forms  which  are 
totally  unrelated. 

The  color  of  bricks  is  most  important,  and 
the  old  fashioned  red  bricks  arc  the  most  satis- 
factory in  the  long  run.  They  have  a  rough 
uneven  surface  which  will  permit  the  weather 
to  work  its  changes  agreeabh'.  The  worst 
colors  are  the  deep  blues  and  browns,  purples 
antl  magentas,  because  they  are  cold  and  un- 
sympathetic in  effect.  In  combining  brick 
with  other  materials  the  color  should  be  care- 
fully considered.  Do  not  put  crimson-red 
brick  with  orange  colored  sand-stone,  or  sal- 
mon colored  stone.  Go  back  always  to  the 
old  Colonial  work,  and  notice  how  simple  and 
how  sure  is  their  sense  of  color  in  brick  work. 

Stone,  in  spite  of  its  abundance,  was  not 
so  extensively  used  in  Colonial  architecture 


76 


.•\n  overworked  little  house. 


THK  MAIKHIALS 


William    Roner    Circcley,    Arcliilcct. 
Mr.   CJrcclcy's   house   at   Lexington,   Massachusetts,  is  quiet  and    restful    in   design.     Note   that   the   entrance   ve>ti- 
bule   is   at   the  ground   level.     Note   also  the   enclosing  wall  for  the  service  yard. 

as  might  be  imagined.     It  was  used  most  in  work  is  shown  on  page  79.     The  walls  are 

those    districts    where    limestone,    which    is  eighteen   inches  thick,   and  because  ot    this 

easily  worked,  was  readily  accessible.     There  the   windows  nia\    have   %er\    deep   reveals, 

remain,     however,     many     e.xcellent     stone  This  depth  of  reveal  may  be  taken  ailvantagc 

houses,    notably    those    in    the    vicinity    of  of  either  for  the  e.xterior  or  the  interior:  in 

Philadelphia.     An   example   of   such   stone-  either  ca.se,  it  gives  added  interot. 


.aim 


First  and  second  floor  plan>  of  Mr.  CJrecley's  houM. 
77 


THK  HONEST  HOUSE 


Savery,  Sheetz  &  Savery,  Architects. 

Mermaid   Lane  Cottage  at   St.  Martins,   Philadelphia,  is  a  line  example  of  the  house  built  of  local  stone. 

For  the  small  house,  cut  stone  is  usually  submitted  to  the  influence  of  sun  and  storm, 
too  expensive  to  be  considered,  though  one  often  acquires  an  attractive  character.  Mar- 
finds  occasionally  a  combination  of  cut  stone  ble  of  the  whiter  kinds  in  order  to  be  attrac- 
and  rubble  stone.  It  is  in  the  simple  rubble  tive  must  have  also  warm  pink,  yellow  or 
wall  that  the  small  house  architecture  of  this  greenish  tones  in  it  to  be  agreeable  in  color, 
country  has  found  its  completest  expression.  It    should    never   be   bluish    in    tone.     The 

There  are  mistakes  to  be  avoided  in  the  use  stones  with  the  deeper  colors,  such  as  red  and 

of  stone,  as  in  all  other  materials.     The  diffi-  brown  sandstone  and  the  dark  gray  and  dark 

■culties  commonly  met  with  in  this  material  blue  limestone,  are  best  avoided.     Nothing 

are  first,  the  manner  in  wliich  the  stone  is  is   more   lugubrious   than   brown   sandstone, 

laid    and    second,    the    color   of    the   stone,  which,    in   addition   to  being   ugly,   is   very 

Contrast  the  beautiful  wall  shown  on  page  friable. 

82  with  that  shown  at  the  bottom  of  this  We  have  confined  ourselves  to  the  con- 
page.  In  what  does  the  difference  consist'?  sideration  of  shingles,  clapboards,  stucco. 
The  stones  in  the  wall  shown  in  the  first  stone  and  brick,  in  this  discussion.  There 
figure  are  laid  horizontally,  and  rest  evenly  are,  in  addition  to  these,  two  other  building 


on  their  beds  while  in  the  other  case  the 
stones  form  a  era/.)-  pattern  which  is  restless 
and  futile. 

If  the  color  of  the  stone  which  is  accessible 
to  you  is  not  warm  antl  cheerful,  it  is  better 
to  build  your  house  of  some  other  material.      iUH: 
Warm  gray  limestones  tinged  with  yellow- 
green  and  pink  are  attractive,  and  grow  bet 


materials   used    for    the   exterior   of   houses 

■  -11! 


ter  with  age. 


Field  stone  which  has  long 


78 


This   shows   how   not  to  build   a   ilune   wall. 


THE  MATERIALS 


^' 


. ^:Jmr 


^ 


which  are  fairly  common,  concrete  and  f^lazed 
terra  cotta.  There  are  still  other  materials, 
such  as  the  decorative  tiles  used  in  Mexico, 
the  tile  beinj:;  applied  directly  apainst  the 
masonry  wall.  Hut  this  material  has  been 
little  used  in  this  country,  and,  while  its  po.s- 
sibilities  arc  nian\-.  it  tails  witliout  the  scope 
of  this  book  to  j^ive  it  more  than  passing  no- 
tice. 

Of  concrete  there  is  this  much  to  be  said : 
Constructively,  it  is  an  excellent  material, 
and  its  color  (usually  a  dull  blue,  brown  or 
gray),  makes  little  difference  provided  that 
it  is  covered  with  a  warm  colored  tint.  As 
tor  the  concrete  lilock,  ho\ve\-er,  it  may  safeh' 
be  said  that  it  would  he  difHcult  to  find  an}- 
thing  much  more  ugh'.  It  the  concrete  bloi'k 
house,  which  looks  like  a  German  toy  bl(K-k 
house,  were  covered  with  stucco  of  a  uniform 
tint,  it  wouUl  be  passable.  Gla/.cd  terra 
cotta  is  used  generally  for  the  purpose  of 
imitating  stone,  and  serving  in  its  place,  and 
as  such  it  does  vet)'  well.  Its  use  in  domestic 
architecture,  especially  of  the  smaller  type, 
has  been  restricted,  and  so  it  is  onl\  neces- 
sary to  say  that  what  has  been  said  about 
stone  applies  to  the  u.se  of  glazed  terra  cotta. 

Finally  we  come  to  a  most  important  mat-  terials.  His  hovise  is  composed  of  all  the 
ter.  the  juxtaposition  ot  materials.  Ma-  motifs  he  can  think  of.  He  uses  three  or 
terials  in  themselves  are  far  less  frequently  four  tlifferent  nuiteriais  and,  finally,  he 
abused  by  the  imtrained  builder  than  when  jiaints  his  liouse  two  or  three  different  colors. 
they  are  j'ut   in  intimate  association   in  the     .\ll  sim|>licity  is  lost. 

same  building.  That  is  where  most  of  the  The  effort  of  the  trained  architect  is  to  get 
mischief  enters.  If  )()u  will  look  at  the  good  back  to  a  simple  expression  of  his  idea;  to 
examples  shown  in  this  book  you  will  find  hmi  tiie  interest  of  his  design  in  tlie  r«-hne- 
that  most  of  them  are  built  of  one  uniform  ment  of  its  proportion,  and  the  skilful  use 
material.  It  is  saddening  to  note  the  ten-  of  iletail  il«-veloped  at  the  salient  places. 
denc\-    of     the     amateur     liouu'    builder    to  In  combining  materials,  tlun,   it   is  neces- 

mix  unn  lated  things.  The  untraineil  sary  to  remember  that  from  its  very  constitu- 
builder  seeks  for  interest  in  complexit).  He  tion  masonry  does  not  knit  with  wood.  One 
multiplies  his  forms,  his  colore,  and  his  ma-     kind  of  masonrx   is  ta-tcneil  to  another  with 

79 


Mellor  &  Meigs,  .'Vrchiircts. 
Note   llie   stonework    'y\   this  cotiaEC  near   Philadelpliia. 
Tlie    white    paiieli'cl    woodwork    set    in    the    reveal    of    the 
clourwaN     is    heautifiillv    stuiiied. 


THE  HONKST  HOISE 


ccniriit,  win  re. 1^  wocxl  is  tastcnctl  to  anotlur 
pific  ot  wm)il  with  nails. 

To  .show  what  is  meant  by  saj  inj;  that  two 
niatrrials  do  not  knit,  Ut  us  take  a  practical 
example.  Consider  the  house  shown  on  this 
page.  In  this  house,  which  is  a  clapboarded 
hou.se  painted  white,  the  red  brick  chimney 
seems  to  cut  ri;,'ht  throuj^h  the  side  ot  the 
house  and  j^ives  one  the  impression  that  with 
a  slif^ht  push  from  the  other  side  it  would 
tall  awa}-.  Compare  this  with  the  house 
shown  on  pa^e  Si.  Here  the  chinmey 
hoUis  the  same  relation  to  the  house  design, 
but  it  is  ot  the  same  material  and  color  as 
the  house  and  consequently  it  gives  the  im- 
pre.ssion  of  belonging  to  it. 

In  the  first  case,  the  brick  of  the  chimney 
and  the  wood  of  the  house  do  not  knit. 
Nothing  holds  them  together.  From  this  we 
can  make  a  generalization. 

With  materials  diflFering  so  completely  in 
character  as  wood  and  masonry,  we  get  a 
feeling  of  stability  when  the  joint  between 
them  is  a  horizontal  one,  and  not  a  vertical 
one.  \\'hen  wood  rests  on  brick,  as  tor  ex- 
ample the  wooden  second  stor}'  wall  rests  on 


the  stone  tirst  storj-  wall  in  tlie  house  on  page 
<S2,  we  feel  that  gravity  acts  to  hold  them 
together,  and  that  the  weight  of  the  wood 
holds  it  in  its  place. 

Of  course  this  is  only  a  matter  ot  theory, 
because  in  i)ractice  we  know  that  a  chimney 
is  stable,  whether  it  is  red  or  white  in  color, 
and  wc  know  that  in  house  construction  the 
.second  stor)'  wall  isn't  built  with  reference 
to  iti  weight.  Nevertheless  this  theory  has 
its  practical  side,  which  is  simply  this:  the 
impression  w  hie  h  the  eye  gains  in  looking  at 
such  a  building  as  that  shown  on  page  82 
is  that  the  chimney  does  not  knit  with  the 
house.  The  eye  also  decides  that  it  is  rea- 
sonable for  ditfVrent  materials  to  lie  hori- 
zontally upon  each  other,  and  the  eye  is  the 
tinal  judge  of  architecture. 

The  relation  of  wood  to  stone  is  an  im- 
portant one.  \A'hen  it  is  necessary  to  cope 
a  stone  [lier,  such  as  a  piazza  porch,  wirli 
wood,  the  stone  work  should  not  be  rough 
and  angular.  The  strictures  which  have 
been  expressed  on  the  matter  of  joining  wood 
and  masonry  ap])ly  in  a  niuch  more  limited 
sense  to  the  joining  ot  one  torm  of  masonry 


This  charming  little  cottage  is  reminiscent  of  the  old  villages  of  New  England. 

80 


THE  MATERIALS 


r 


**■.*■- 


^7\   ^,.-  -^'^■'" 'Pv 

'      / 


DeArmoiid.  Ashmead  &  Bicklfy,  Architects. 

Note    tlie    distinctive    simplicity    in    lliis    house   for    Miss    Mary    C.    Gibson    at    Wynnewood,    Pennsylvania. 

wall  with  another,  sinijily  because  they  have  traction  which  is  very  appealinj^,  but  the  tact 

much  in  common  in  their  character.  that  they  are  not  tireprtx)!  cau.ses  them  to  be 

So  far  we  have  coii^itlcrcd  onh    the  ma-  rc;4arcitil  with  suspicion  by  many  house  biiild- 

terials  used  for  walls.     There  remains  the  im-  ers.     Tin  n.  r(H),  the)-  must  be  renewed  once 

portant  <juestion  of  the  roof  and  its  covering;,  in  so  man)'  years,  which  is  expensive  to  the 

Of  all  the  roof  coverings  tiie  most  common  modern  economist.     So  we  turn  generally  to 

is  shingle,   and   undoubtedl)-  this  is  one  of  one  of  two  tyjies  of  roof  covering,  shitc  or 

the  most  satisfactory  so  far  as  looks  are  con-  tile. 
cerned.     The   gray,    weather-beaten   shingle  Slate  is  permanent   ami   fireproof,   but   it 


roofs  of  some   of   the   old   colonial    houses, 
colored  by  mosses  and  lichens,  haxe  an  at- 


is  usually  cold  and  unsympathetic,  in  color. 
The  best  roof  covering  is  \nu]uestionably  Hat 


First  and  second  floor  plan*  of  Mi»>  tlitison's  hou»e. 
Hi 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


shinj^le  tile.  In  the  old  European  tile  works, 
as  in  the  old  European  brick  work,  the  manu- 
facture was  impertect.  Tlu-  tile  was  ot  a 
roujih  texture,  unglazed  and  soft  baked. 
The  consequence  wa.s  that  while  they  satisfied 
the  conditions  of  permanence  and  tireproot- 
infi,  they  also  permitted  age  and  weather  to 
beautify  them.  The  roofs  resulting  were 
symphonies  of  color.  Their  tones  varied 
from  light  orange  to  warm  browns,  antl 
through  these  colors,  the  greens  and  grays  ot 
the  mosses  and  the  lichens  played. 

In  this  country  until  recently  tiles,  like 
brick,  have  been  too  hard,  too  smooth,  too 
colorless  to  be  interesting.  Recently,  how- 
ever, shingle  tile  has  been  made  with  a  rough 
texture  and  good  color.     Little  can  be  said 


in  approval  of  the  so-called  mission  style  of 
round  tile,  such  as  is  seen  everywhere  on 
ponderous  near-Spanish  houses.  This  tile  is 
always  ugly  and  awkward,  and  its  constant 
convolutions  are  very  tiresome. 

Of  the  other  types  of  roof  covering,  such 
as  asbestos  shingle  and  various  patent  roof 
coverings,  it  is  only  possible  to  say  that  they 
are  practicable.  Certainly  they  are  nearly 
alwa\s  ugly.  Nothing  is  more  sad  than  an 
asbestos  shingle  roof  with  its  dull,  monot- 
onous red  or  sickly  green,  and  its  thin  un- 
broken evenness.  It  has  a  surface  that  one 
could  almost  skate  on.  Some  day  this  sur- 
face and  texture  may  be  improved,  and  we 
may  have  an  asbestos  shingle  of  good  color, 
and   thickness  enough  to  be   interesting. 


Charles  Barton  Keen,  Architect. 
Note  the  excellent  stone  work  in  this  Germantown  house  at  Garden  City,  New  York. 

82 


A 


(HAI'TI.I?   X 
WAl.I.S  AND  THKIR  Ol'EMXGS 

I'  I  I'.Ii  :ilK  what  is  the  wall  ot  a  wliilc  camping  in  the  \v<)Otl>  the  <-xcitfnicnt 
lioiise"^  Firsr  ot  all  it  is  a  protec-  of  improvisinjj;  such  a  shcltt-r';'  It  t-xiTiises 
tion  a^'ainst  the  weather;  secondly,  your  in};;enuity  to  obtain  and  fashion  the  ma- 
it  is  a  construction  to  insure  privacy.  terial  for  the  rude  walls  and  roof.  F'ar 
The  earl)-  builtier.  lon^'  before  he  came  to  awa}'  from  villaj^es  and  shops  you  must 
cope  successfully  with  the  problem  of  rooting  make  the  best  of  such  material  as  you  can 
his  house,  reali/ol  that  his  walls  insund  him  tuni.  Finally,  however,  the  shelter  is  fin- 
against  the  attacks  of  the  enemy,  gave  him  islieil;  your  few  belongings,  your  stores,  and 
shelter  from  the  weather  ami  afforded  privacy  clothes  are  moved  into  it;  night  falls;  a  huge 
tor  his  famil).  'Ilun  he  adileil  a  roof  to  fire  is  started  and  you  contemplate  the  sur- 
turtlur  protect  himself,  a  roof  consisting,  rounding  blackness  with  security  and  con- 
probably,  of  skins  ot  animals.  In  the  walls  tent.  To  a  certain  extent  xou  are  living 
of  his  rough  dwelling  he  made  a  few  openings  as  the  primitive  home-builder  lived,  .\fter 
— rough  wintlows  and  doorways  to  give  him  all,  what  you  hav<-  done  is  simpiv  to  con- 
light  and  air.  And  so  came  to  pass  an  ele-  struct  some  walls  with  an  opening  or  tw(»  in 
nirntai)  home.  them  anti  a  roof  oxcrhead.  Ami  this  was 
This  primitive  home  is  a  tyjie  of  dwelling  j)rimarily  just  what  the  lirst  house-builder 
which  exercises  a  fascination  u|)on  most  of  constructed. 

IIS  (  ven  to-day.      Don't  you  renuniber  as  a  In  this  ruile  beginning  we  ha\e  the  earliest 

child,  in  reading  stories  .such  as  "The  Swiss  torm  ot  domestic  architecture,  and  in  its  t-s- 

Famil)    Robinson,"  a  certain  thrill  of  .satis-  .sentials  the  most  pretentious  dwelling  of  to- 

faction  when  the  adventurous  castaways  s\ic-  day  varies  trom  it  only  in  the  interpretation 

ceeiled    in    establishing   a    rough    shelter    tor  ot  these  elements.      In  the  iliminutive  huild- 

themselves"?     Have     you     not     experienceii  ing  shown  on  page  84  we  see  a  wall  with  a 

83 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


rough  opening  in  it,  and  in  the  backj^round — 
a  pahu'c.  It  is  obvious  that  in  the  most  elab- 
orate architecture  the  tX-ade  is,  in  the  hist 
analysis,  onl\  a  wall  punctured  by  openings. 
If  these  openings  are  arranged  so  as  to  pro- 
duce a  balanced  effect,  the  facade  has  at- 
tained a  large  measure  of  the  essence  of  good 
design.  There  are,  of  course,  many  other 
considerations  which  enter  into  its  design, 
but  the  placing  of  the  windows  in  the  walls 
so  as  to  produce  a  happ\'  effect,  is  one  of  the 
very  first  problems. 

To  show  how  the  character  of  a  building 
varies,  not  only  with  the  arrangement  of  the 
■windows  but  with  their  size,  examine  the 
houses  shown  on  page  85.  In  enlarging  the 
window  openings  relatively  to  the  wall  spaces 
between  them,  we  lighten  the  appearance  of 
the  building.     We  let  in  more  air  and  light. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  one  of  the  essential 
considerations  in  designing  your  house  is  to 
get  the  window  openings  just  right  in  size, 
not  too  large  and  not  too  small.  If  you 
make  them  too  small,  your  house  will  suggest 


a  prison;  if  too  large,  it  will  look  like  a 
greenhouse. 

Somehow  we  associate  our  ideas  of  home 
with  a  certain  snugness,  a  certain  security. 
It  is  this  quality  which  makes  the  difference 
in  character  between  a  public  building  and 
a  home.  Seated  around  the  great  fire,  with 
the  doors  securely  locked  and  the  strong  walls 
of  our  house  about  us,  we  get  a  feeling  of 
what  the  French  call  the  foyer, — of  what  the 
English  call  home.  This  feeling  vanishes  tor 
most  of  us,  if  we  tr}*  to  imagine  such  a  scene 
in  a  house  which  is  all  windows. 

In  a  word,  it  is  all  summed  up  by  saying,  as 
is  pointed  out  in  Chapter  V,  that  in  archi- 
tecture the  important  thing  is  to  express  the 
character  of  a  building.  On  looking  at  a 
building  we  should  be  able  to  say  by  its  ap- 
pearance to  what  purposes  it  is  put.  We 
ought  to  be  able  to  tell  a  greenhouse  from 
a  jail  and  a  jail  from  a  dwelling  house. 
Nothing  tends  to  express  the  character  of  the 
building  so  much  as  the  treatment  of  the 
walls   in   relation  to  the  ojienings   in   them. 


84 


WALLS  AM)   in  KIR  OPENINGS 


In  a  greenhouse  the  openings  are  large;  in  a 
jail,  small.  It  is  not  a  question  ot  the  k/iul 
of  window  you  use ;  it  is  simply  a  question  of 
fixing  the  amount  ot  window  space  rela- 
tively to  the  wall  space  and  thus  to  find  a 
treatment  which  will  express  the  particular 
character  of  a  building. 

It  is  interesting  to  look  a  lirrlc  further  into 
the  conditions  which  determine  the  difference 
in  the  treatment  of  walls  and  windows  in  dif- 
ferent countries. 

'V\\v  walls  ot  a  house  protiiT  the  inmates 
against  heat  and  coUl.  In  adiiition  to  the 
heat  and  cold  which  come  trom  the  outsiile 
atmosphere,  the  house  also  receives  its  light 
from  out  of  doors.  There  is  protection 
against  cold  b\'  the  use  ot  artiticial  heating  in 
the  house,  but  there  is  no  such  protection 
against  excessive  heat. 

In  hot  countries  where  the  light  is  intense, 
and  the  heat  excessive,  the  window  openings 
arc  \vx\  small.  In  extreme  norrlicrn  coun- 
tries, and  in  countries  where  glass  is  expen- 
sive, and  fuel  scarce,  the  windows  are  small 
again.  In  temperate  countries  the  windows 
are  made  as  large  as  possible,  to  let  in  much 
light  and  air.  Thus  you  see  that  the  matter 
of  the  size  of  the  windows  in  a  house  has  a 
direct  relation  to  the  climatic  contlitions. 

Of  course  these  climatic  conditions  tend 
less  and  less  to  influence  our  house  ilesign, 
because  with  modern  ajipliances,  we  are  able 


to  combat  more  or  less  successfully  the  condi- 
tions of  heat  and  cold.  The  jxiint  to  be 
nuide  is  this:  you  c;mnot  expect  to  retain 
the  character  of  certain  types  of  architecture 
if  }ou  go  to  work  and  change  the  ver\  things 
which  gave  them  their  character. 

It  is  important  that  you  shouUl  not  confuse 
the  wall  itself  with  the  decoration  of  the  wall. 
The  essential  thing  to  remember  in  designing 
a  house  is  that  you  have  a  simple  wall  in 
which  you  are  going  to  make  simple  openings. 
The  use  of  pilasters,  of  band  courses,  of  win- 
dow frames,  etc.,  are  all  of  .secondary  im- 
portance. They  belong  to  the  decoration  of 
the  wall  surface,  and  are  not  essential.  It  is 
important  to  recognize  the  beaut)'  of  th^  wall 
in  itself.  How  often  we  have  admired  the 
crumbling  wall  of  a  deserted  house  over 
which  the  vines  and  lichens  have  grown. 
Time  and  exposure  have  given  to  the  oKI 
stone  color  and  texture,  a  richness  which 
comes  only  with  age. 

So  nuich  for  the  theoretical  aspects  of  the 
wall  and  window  treatment  ot  the  house.  .\ 
vet}-  practical  matter  is  the  placing  of  the 
windows. 

Generally  the  people  who  are  planning 
their  first  house  begin  with  a  consid«ration 
of  the  plan  arrangement.  I  have  seen  ilozens 
of  people  in  the  first  flush  ot  their  pride  as 
lanilowners,  and  invariabh-  they  seize  |x-ncil 
and  paper, and  begin  making  squares  that  are 


^ipiiiiiiiiiu:,y^aiiiiiii.ii.ii.#^iiia 


liiiaiJnttiiiiiiui 


limiiiiiiuiiiiM^^ 


•s. 


Mil-:  HONKS  1    HOI  SE 


sup[X)sed  to  indicate  rooms,  and  ch()[)py  little 
lines  to  inilirat<-  \viniii>ws  and  doorways. 
I>;iter  they  lurtect  these  anuisin^'  plans  and 
work  out  room  sizes  laboriously,  with  the  aid 
of  a  simple  scale  of  measurement.  But  ot 
the  e.xterior  they  think  not  at  all.  Where 
will  these  windows  and  doors  tind  them- 
selves'? That  is  a  myster}'  they  expect  the 
architect  to  solve,  and  woe  he  unto  him  it  in 
solvinj;  it,  he  sacriHces  their  room  arrange- 
ment! I  do  not  decry  the  making  of  phms 
— it  is  one  of  the  finest  pleasures  a  man  can 
have, — but  I  do  wi.sh  his  imagination  would 
soar  upward  to  his  second  story,  to  his  roof. 
A  cnule  elevation  wouUi  be  quite  as  much  fun 


to  work  out  as  a  crude  plan,  and  would  give 
him  -SO  much  mor<'  resi)ect  tor  his  archircct. 

In  ni}'  magazine  experience,  I  ha\i  hail 
hundreds  ot  plans  sent  in  to  me  with  re- 
quests tor  criticism.  These  plans  usually  are 
incomplete  and  hast}',  and  ot  course  an_\'  in- 
telligent criticism  is  impossible,  because  noth- 
ing has  been  submitted  to  show  what  the 
liouse  is  to  look  like. 

How  is  it  possible,  looking  at  such  a  plan, 
to  tell  whether  the  windows  are  going  to  work 
out  right,  whether  the  roof  is  possible, — in  a 
worci.  w  lirrluT  rh(  re  is  anv  design  to  the  house 
at  air? 

The  correct  way  to  work  at  such  a  problem 


Photograph  hy  Frank  Cousins. 

The  old  Henry  House  at  Germantown,  Pennsylvania.       Note  the  beautifully  proportioned  windows. 

86 


WALLS  AM)    rHKIH  OPENINGS 


is  this:  suppose  you  want  a  house  which  has  a 
living  room,  a  dining  rcxini  and  a  kitchen  on 
the  first  Hoot  anti  two  or  three  bedrooms  on 
the  second  floor.  Usually  you  will  have 
been  inspired  by  some  house  which  you  have 
seen,  and  liked.  Perhaps  it  did  n't  altogether 
suit  you,  but  it  gave  you  a  point  of  departure. 
Suppose  that  )()u  want  an  arrangement  in 
which  the  living  room  and  dining  room  are 
adjacent.  As  soon  as  you  have  drawn  that 
much,  jou  realize  that  you  need  windows  in 
these  rooms.  Where  are  they  to  go"?  Well, 
the  a\(rage  person  just  indicates  them  an\- 
where,  without  reference  to  anything.  That 
is  wrong.  The  thing  to  do  is  this :  when  your 
little  sketch  is  drawn,  make  a  rough  study  of 
the  elevations  as  is  shown  at  the  bottom  of 
this  page.  This  will  tell  you  where  your 
windows  ought  to  go  to  look  well.  Then 
check  on  }our  plan  so  that  the)-  agree  in  po- 
sition with  the  windows  on  the  little  sketch 
elevation. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  position  of 
the  windows  is  fixed.  You  have  only  made 
one  little  study,  and  before  arriving  at  the 
design  you  should  make  a  great  many  such 
studies,  always  checking  the  plan  and  the 
elevations.  Not  only  is  this  true  in  the  con- 
ditions of  the  windows,  but  it  applies  to  the 
roof  and  to  all  the  elements  that  go  into  your 
house  design.  It  is  the  onlx  way  to  work 
intelligently.      If  you  work  simply  by  con- 


sidering the  plan  arrangement,  you  will  in- 
variably get  some  terribly  complicated  and 
impossible  plan  for  which  no  ingenuity  could 
possibly  devise  a  resj)ectable  elevation. 

So  tar  in  this  cha|)ter  the  window  oj)en- 
ings  have  been  considered  in  relation  to  the 
wall  in  which  they  form  the  openings.  I 
have  tried  to  point  out  that  the  essential 
character  of  the  home  lies  in  its  security  and 
shelter,  that  in  order  to  express  this  charac- 
ter the  openings  of  the  walls  nnist  be  neither 
too  large  or  small,  and  finally  I  have  tried 
to  show  how  in  designing  a  new  house  you 
must  constantly  consider  how  the  windows 
which  )ou  St)  easil}'  locat»-  on  plan  are  g«>ing 
to  l(K)k  in  elevation.  So  far  nothing  has 
been  said  about  the  tjpes  and  kinds  ot  win- 
dows and  doors  which  we  can  use. 

I  wonder  if  ever  a  woman  planned  her 
ideal  house  without  a  vision  ot  wide-flung 
casement  windows,  iv\  framed,  with  broad 
inside  sills  holding  orderly  jxits  ot  red  gera- 
niums, and  a  bird  cage  .somewhere  in  the 
background"?  Of  course  there  are  no  wm- 
dow  shades  and  no  wire  .screens  in  sight. 
Flies  and  mosquitoes  do  not  frequent  ideal 
houses. 

Men  plan  differently.  They  always  think 
of  the  sensible  side  of  things — ot  adequate 
light  and  air  and  all  that.  They  bring  us 
to  earth  with  practical  considerations  and  ar- 
guments for  and  against  casenicnt.s,  or  double 


/t/rm 


■■^--^MMMk-'-Ji 


TiAA"  '^rz-'^ri- 


-J/^r  j^zryfrJbV- 


Tin:   HONKSI"  HOI  SK 


Edmund    B.    Gilchrist,    Architect. 
The    planting    about    this    house    is   so   successfully  done  that,    although    the    house    is   still    very   young,    it    has   the 
appearance   and   charm    which   age   and   time   give.     Note  the  plain    wall    surfaces    which    contrast    happily    with    the 
planting. 

hun^  windows,  as  the  case  may  be.  I  know  sisting  of  two  huge  sheets  of  phite  glass! 
one  man,  however,  who  always  specifies  case-  Architects  should  be  also  artists,  and  artists 
ments  when  he  [jossibly  can  (of  course  he  is  have  such  visions.  If  your  architect  insists 
an  architect),  because  he  says  the  text  of  his  on  huge  sheets  of  glass,  instead  of  begging 
career  is  the  image  called  to  his  mind  by  the  }ou  to  consider  small  panes,  there  is  some- 
poets'  .songs  of  the  magic  casement.  He  sees  thing  wrong  with  him.  I  knozv. 
a  small  window  in  a  high  tower  Hung  wide  In  the  chapter  on  wall  openings  we  con- 
open,  with  a  fair}-  princess  hanging  out.  A  sidered  windows  as  mere  penetrations,  but 
more  definite  examination  gives  him  an  im-  they  must  also  be  considered  as  decorative,  or 
pression  of  a  charming  arrangement  of  small  marring,  details.  From  a  historical  point  of 
panes  of  glass.  No  one,  however  realistic,  view  the  window  in  the  primitive  house  was 
could  conceive  the  passibility  of  poetic  an  opening  to  admit  light  and  air.  At  first  a 
imager}'  lying  in   a  double  hung  sash  con-  simple  hole  in  the  wall,  it  finally  came  to  be 


\VA1,LS  AM)    IHKIK  OPKMNGS 


glazed,  and  then  the  retineiiients  ot  window 
design  began. 

The  early  English  antl  French  cottages 
from  whirh  we  draw  so  murli  ot  the  ins[)ira- 
tion  tor  our  American  homes  were  built  in  a 
period  when  glass  was  expensive.  Lite  was 
lived  out  ot  doors,  and  when  night  tell  the 
family  went  to  bed,  since  artiticial  light  was 
scarce  and  expensive.  Parti}'  to  protect 
themselves  from  the  rain  and  snow,  men 
made  the  windows  of  their  houses  small  and 
few.  Look  at  the  ty[)ical  old  cottages  shown 
on  pages  5  and  2;.  Notice  how  small  the 
windows  are  as  relateii  to  tlie  wall  surfaces, 
and  how  charming  the  cottages  are.  because 
of  the  mystery,  the  intimacy  ot  those  cjuiet 
walls. 

When  glass  became  less  exjiensive  and  it 
became  possible  to  have  large  wimiows,  a 
new  condition  was  brought  about  which  still 
obtains.  The  modern  architect  nuist  keep 
the  picturesqueness,  the  sense  ot  hoinines-s, 
the  sense  of  privacy-  which  these  old  i()tta;:es 
gave,  but  the  house  nuist  ha\  e  more  winilow-. 
People  demand  windows  everywhere  I  Each 
room  must  have  two  and  otten  three,  and  the 
houses  of  to-day  are  designed  .so  as  to  answer 
these  conditions.  Then  the  human  wonder- 
why  our  small  domestic  architecture  is  not 
picturescjue,  lik<'  the  old  Knglish  and  French 
cottage  architecture. 

The  small  K)untr\  houses  ot  England  havi 
.small  windows  ami  large  wall  spaces.  This 
is  also  true  of  Spani.sh  houses,  but  the 
Spaniard  has  the  excuse  that  the  sun  is  so 
bright  and  the  day  so  hot  that  thick  walls  and 
small  windows  give  relief.  It  is  curious  that 
the  I'^nglishmen  should  have  built  in  the  sam<' 
way,  for  the  climate  is  exactl\-  the  o|i|H)sire 
of  that  of  Spain.  Perhaps  the  price  of  glass, 
or  the  olil  winilow  and  il(X)r  tax,  caused  this. 


[•-,..11   I'*   II    I     Ml 


In  northern  Italy  \tni  go  through  a  great 
manv  small  towns  where  the  windows  are 
boanled  up.  and  the  Italians  have  even  gone 


89 


THK  HONKST  IIOl  SE 


so  far  as  to  pive  the  effect  ot  windows  by 

paintint:  thrm  on   the  outside  walls.     "\  on 

may    renitniber    having:    seen    in    Italy    the 

painted   li^ure  ot   a  man   leaning  aj^ainst  a 

painted  diH)rway. 

At  the  beginninj^ot  American  housebuilding,' 

our  windows  were  <:()<)d, — tluy  had  to  be  ^ood 
btrause  no  one  had  attempted  to  ap[)ly  the 
principles  ot  vulj^arity  and  ostentation  to 
them.  ( Principles  is  too  good  a  word, — what 
is  its  antonym"?)  Then,  about  iS8o  some 
mali^ant  hend  decided  that  windows  had 
been  decorative  lonj;  enough,  and  introduced 
into  American  domestic  architecture  that 
hideous  atrocity  which  we  know  as  the  plate 
glass  window,  the  window  which  makes  ever\- 
house  in  which  it  is  used  pretentious,  dismal 
and  uninteresting.  For  a  shop  window  the 
big  pane  ot"  glass  has  its  utility.  It  is  a  pub- 
lic window.  It  invites  us  to  examine  it. 
We  all  look  into  it  to  see  what  is  exposed. 
But  is  not  this  the  very  opposite  of  what  we 
should  demand  of  the  wimiows  in  our  home? 
The  modest  retiring  asjicct  of  privacy  should 
be  the  quality  which  distinguishes  a  "home," 
and  this  is  destroyed  when  the  house  has  win- 
dows of  huge  sheets  of  glass. 

In  America  we  have  not  had  the  difficulty 
of  the  window  tax,  and  with  the  introduction 
of  electric  light — a  desire  came  over  the  coun- 
try to  have  the  maximum  of  light  by  day 
as  well  as  by  night,  and  so  plate  glass  win- 
dows were  introduced  because  they  gave  a 
great  deal  of  light.  The  fact  that  they  ab- 
solutely destroyed  the  beauty  of  the  houses 
where  they  are  used,  meant  nothing  to  their 
perpetrators.  An  epidemic  of  plate  glass 
made  most  of  our  houses  as  badly  open  to 
the  gaze  of  passers-by  as  if  they  were  shops. 

I  remember  as  a  child,  with  the  smugness 
of  childhood,  classifying  the  social  desirabil- 


it\  of  people  on  the  basis  of  whether  or  not 
the  windows  of  their  houses  were  of  plate 
glass.  I  disdained  the  small  panes,  I  thought 
them  old  fashioned  and  that  only  poor  peo- 
ple had  them  in  their  houses. 

Many  old  cottages  which  the  American 
traveler  admires  so  much  when  passing 
tlirough  English  villages  are  vci}  lovely  — 
from  the  outsitle.  The  traveler  rarely  sees 
them  from  within,  and  he  docs  not  realize 
that  their  defect  lies  in  the  lack  of  light 
and  air  the  interior  enjoys.  He  sees  a  low, 
rambling  cottage  with  an  overhanging  roof 
of  moldly  riles,  and  a  few  small  casement 
windows,  and  much  ivy,  and  he  decides  his 
architect  must  give  him  an  English-style 
house  of  exactly  this  sort.  He  is  sadly  dis- 
appointed when  his  architect  tells  him  that 
the  interior  of  the  cottage  is  as  black  as  your 
hat,  and  that  these  visible  charms  can't  be  in- 
troduced into  our  American  houses  without 
sacrificing  sunshine  and  air  and  comfort. 

But  if  English  houses  are  defective  through 
a  lack  of  light,  many  American  houses  err  in 
the  other  direction.  You  must  understand 
that  this  is  not  a  criticism  against  well- 
lighted  rooms,  but  against  the  disposition  of 
too  much  window  space  in  one  place.  Often 
in  .\merican  houses  the  privacy  that  should 
belong  to  the  home  is  destroyed  by  badly 
placed  windows  on  or  near  the  street,  which 
enables  the  outsider  to  look  into  the  house. 

If  we  could  only  make  up  our  mind  to  the 
radical  idea  of  broad  wall  spaces  and  few 
windows,  we  could  get  along  with  small  win- 
dow openings.  The  Boardman  Robinson 
house  on  page  164  is  a  fine  exposition  of 
this.  Here  is  a  long  rambling  house  with 
large  wall  spaces  broken  by  small  casement 
windows.  It  is  most  adequately  lighted  and 
ventilated,  and  yet  it  has  the  picturesque  and 


90 


WAI.rs  AM)  THKIH  OPKMNGS 


J 


Photograph  by  Frank  Cousins. 

I'his   detail   of   the  door  and   windows  of  the  old   Robert 
inspiring  model.     The  small    window   panes   are  charmingly 

intimate  character  ot  an  oki-worlci  house.  It 
has  great  charm,  absolute  convenience,  and 
all  the  comforts. 

The  window  divided  into  small  panes 
possesses  much  more  decorative  interest  than 
the  single  pane  sash.  Look  at  the  housts 
shown  on  page  109.  The  first  is  without  in- 
terest; the  second  has  windows  that  kK)k  like 
winilows,  and  not  like  great  black  holes, 
or  I  haracterle^s  shop  windows. 

The  defense  of  the  large  pane  of  gla.ss  is 
comnionh'  baseil  on  two  considerations: — 
the  small  pane  window  is  more  ditiicult  to 
clean,   and   the   muntins  between   the  small 


.Morris    House    at    Philadelphia    may    well    serve    as   an 
proportioned. 

panes  obstruct  the  view.  If  one  were  to  be 
logical  he  must  also  do  away  with  the  open 
fire-place  because  it  is  responsible  tor  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  dust  in  the  house,  whereas 
steam  or  hot  watt  r  luating  is  more  scientific. 
.\nd  if  the  muntins  obstruct  the  view,  so  also 
lit)  curtains  obstruct  it.  To  be  logical  these 
siiould  be  done  away  with  also.  But  we  are 
not  (juite  so  Itxilish  as  that,  ^^'e  keep  the 
open  fire-place,  becau.se  in  spite  ot  its  inetli- 
ciency  as  a  house  heater,  we  like  to  s«f  the 
open  fire.  We  liecid*-  that  its  cheerfulnc-ss 
makes  up  for  its  dust.  .\nd  so  with  our  cur- 
tains.      Tin  \    ilo  obstruct  the  view,  but  the 


9' 


I  Hi:  HONKS  1    HOLSE 


window  looks  bare  without  them,  and  %vc  can 
see  enough. 

With  these  strictures  we  piiss  iwm  the  sub- 
ject ot  phite  ghiss  windows.  The  offense 
does  nt  lie  in  the  tact  that  the  windows  are 
ot  pij/i-  glass,  but  in  the  hideousness  of  an 
unbroken  e.xpanse  ot"  glass.  \'ery  large 
^tudlo  windows  are  otten  tilled  with  large 
sheets  ot  glass,  but  the}-  are  small  in  compari- 
son with  the  wall  oiu-ning,  and  they  are,  atter 
all,  ilivitled  by  nnmtins. 

\Nindo\vs  made  up  ot  large  single  panes  of 
glass  are  uglier  than  windows  subdivided  into 
small  panes,  but  unless  the  small  panes  are 
well  managed  they  can  be  prett)  bad,  too. 
In  ordinar)  house  design  a  window  with 
wcHKlen  nnmtins  has  panes  eight  by  ten 
inches.  As  a  rule  a  rectangular  pane  is  more 
attractive  than  a  square  one,  a  vertical  rec- 
tangle better  than  a  horizontal  one.  The 
sim[)le  rectangle  of  ordinary  cottage  windows 
is  much  more  satisfactor)  than  the  diamond 
shape,  or  anj-  of  the  fantastic  sub-divisions, 
be  the  nnintins  of  wood  or  of  lead. 

The  leaded  diamond  panes  in  the  old  Eng- 
lish Tudor  houses  are  very  delicate  and  grace- 
ful, but  these  windows  were  large,  and  verti- 
cal in  expression.  Diamonil  panes  that  are 
squarish  and  separated  b\  thick  wooden  mun- 
tins  are  very  unpleasant. 

Do  not  have  windows  of  one  sort  in  one 
part  of  the  house,  and  windows  of  an  unre- 
lated family  in  another.  It  is  possible  to  use 
double-hung  sash  windows  and  small  case- 
ment windows  in  the  same  house  with  excel- 
lent effect,  //  the  general  character  ot  the 
windows  is  the  same. 

If  your  house  is  two  stories  and  a  halt  high, 
your  windows  would  ordinarily  be  larger — 
that  is,  taller — on  the  first  floor  than  on  the 
second.     Consequently  the  panes  of  the  sec- 


ond floor  window  may  be  less  in  height  tlian 
those  in  the  first,  but  the  width  of  the  panes 
shoukl  be  kept  and  the  windows  will  belong 
to  the  same  family. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  windows  in  com- 
mon use:  the  double  hung,  which  is  the 
familiar  window,  the  two  halves  ot  which 
slide  up  and  down;  the  casement  wWnh  opens 
into  the  house;  and  the  casement  whicli  opens 
out. 

Of  these  three  types  tlic  advantages  and 
disadvantages  are  pretty  much  as  follows: 

The  double  hung  window  i>  more  iiractTcal 
in  a  \ery  small  house  where  outside  shutters 
and  inside  screens  are  required,  since  its  opera- 
tion does  not  interfere  with  either  the  swing- 
ing of  the  shutter  or  the  screen.  Its  disad- 
vantages lie  in  the  fact  that  one  can  utilize 
only  half  the  opening.  Its  advantage  lies 
in  that  it  may  be  opened  solel)-  at  the  top  or 
bottom.  From  the  point  of  \iew  of  good 
looks  it  is  invariably  the  least  attractive  of 
the  three  t)pes. 

The  casement  opening  in  is  generally  less 
weather  proof  than  the  double  hung  window, 
or  the  casement  opening  out.  It  also  con- 
sumes part  of  the  room  space  which  would 
otherwise  be  useable,  since  it  has  to  swing 
into  the  room.  Its  advantages  lie  in  the 
fact  that  it  can  be  used  easily  and  it  gives 
you  the  f\ill  vahie  of  the  window  opening. 

The  casement  opening  out  is  weather  proof 
and  looks  well  open  or  shut.  Its  disadvan- 
tages lie  in  the  fact  that  it  is  less  easily  man- 
aged from  inside  ot  the  house  than  is  either 
the  casement  opening  from  the  inside  or  the 
double  hung  window.  It  is  difficult  to  ar- 
range outside  shutters  in  connection  with  it, 
and  in  summer  the  problem  of  screens  be- 
comes an  abomination.  There  are  now,  how- 
■  ever,  contrivances  that  make  it  possible  to 
92 


WALLS  AND  THEIR  OPENINGS 


Designed  by  H.  T.  Lindeberfj.  Albro  i  Liiidrberf;.  Architects. 

This   house   presents   interesting  and   excellent   detail  throughout.     It  will   repa>   the  most  careful   study. 


o[)cn  the  windows  by  using  a  small  lever  that 
runs  through  the  lower  part  ot  tho  screen. 

Doubtless  as  we  become  more  aj)[)re- 
ciative  of  the  beauty  of  the  casement  "tlung 
wide,"  our  American  ingenuity  will  ilevise 
still  better  mechanical  means  for  manipulat- 
ing the  shutters  and  .screens.  C'axnunts 
nuist  ordinarily  be  smaller  than  double-hung 
windows,  because  they  are  svipported  b\  their 
hinges.  It  will  take  a  group  of  casements  to 
admit  the  same  light  as  two  or  three  oniinary 
windows,  but  tlic  ordinary  wintlows  give  too 
much  light  usuall\ — cIm-  wh\  do  people  cur- 
tain them  so  resolutel\  "^ 

Studv  the  olil  cottage  architecture  ot  Eng- 


land and  France  and  notice  how  simple  the 
forms  of  the  windows  are.  In  the  Colonial 
work,  it  is  true,  you  tiiul  txamples  ot  semi- 
circular and  elliptical  arched  windows,  and 
(Kcasionall)-  in  gambrel  rtnif  houses  you  find 
(juarter  circle  windows.  But  the  great  ma- 
jority of  windows  are  plain,  straigiitaway, 
rectangular  openings,  with  little  effort  to  elab- 
orate. Ir  i-  aKva\>  well  to  avoid  triangu- 
lar, hexagonal  ami  oval  wimlows.  Es|>ecially 
unpleasant  in  modern  wt»rk  is  the  recurrent 
oval  window  with  it•^  elongateil  key  stones,  in- 
variably made  of  wimhI.  Many  otherwise 
gixnl  houses  are  spoiled  by  tln>  silly  little  oval 
window  that  is  inserted  in  the  wall  without 


9i 


THE  HONKSr  IIOISE 


rhyme  or  reason.  It  may  li^ht  a  closet  or  a  truth  prohably  is  that  the  glass  started  out  in- 
dark  corner  ot  a  .stairwaj,  but  surel)  the  ncxently  as  phiin  j^lass,  and  Nature,  the  bat- 
architect  ct)uld  devise  some  better  opening;.  Hing  chemist,  did  the  rest.  It  is  sate  to  say, 
T(x>  ot'ten  the  oval  window  has  not  even  this  however,  that  a  man  who  deliberately 
e.xcuse:  it  is  merely  a  stran},'e  e.\i)ression  ot  a  planned  to  till  his  sashes  with  panes  ot  violet 
mi.sguided  ambition  to  decorate;  to  beautity.  glass  would  make  an  awtul  mess  ot  it. 
Almost  always  it  goes  with  another  dreadful  The  ha)  \\ind()w  and  the  tlormer  window 
sin  against  good  taste — colored  glass.  are  s|)ecial  t}  [)es  \\\uch  merit  special  atten- 
There  is  a  general  superstition  that  the  stair  tion.  Both  these  occur  in  a  great  variety  of 
hall   window   shouKl  be  tilled   with  colored  tonus,  and  both  are  hideously  designed  in  the 


glass,  and  this  idea  has  ruined  many  stair 
halls  that  would  otherwise  be  good  looking. 
We  all  remember  the  houses  that  have  come 
to  us  from  the  dreadful  period  of  the  seven- 


ordinary  house  built  by  a  contractor.  The 
common  mistake  is  to  make  the  ba\'  window 
too  heavy.  A  bay  window  shoiilil  always 
show  some  kind  of  supi)ort  under  it.      It  the 


ties  and  eighties,  when  blue  and  green  and  walls  ot  the  bay  window  cannot  run  to  the 
orange  and  purple  glass  was  used  with  grounti.  ;is  shown  on  page  i  ^5,  then  it  should 
terrible  effect.  If  you  feel  you  nmst  have  be  supported  by  brackets,  or  a  series  of  mold- 
stained  glass  in  your  house,  study  the  subject     ings. 

thoroughly,  and  then  use  it  sparingly.  Of  As  for  dormer  windows,  the  great  error  lies 
course  if  you  are  a  connoisseur  in  glass,  that  in  making  thein  too  monstrous.  Nothing 
is  different.  You  will  understand  what  takes  awa\-  from  the  serenity  of  a  house  so 
stained  glass  /s.  Otherwise,  let  your  glass  be  nuich  as  great  dormer  windows,  too  big  to  be 
of  good  quality,  transparent.  Cheap  stained  dormers,  and  too  small  to  be  gables. 
glass  is  a  sure  way  to  vulgarize  the  appear-  The  dormers  not  only  are  frequent)}-  too 
ance  of  any  house.  It  is  a  two  edged  swonl :  large  but  they  are  nearly  always  batUy  de- 
it  betrays  you  to  the  world  outside,  and  it  is  signed.  Compare  the  dormer  of  the  house 
always  with  you  inside  }our  house.  Shun  it.  shown  on  page  36  with  that  shown  on  page 
There  are  accidental  effects  that  are  worth  37.  Note  in  the  latter  house  how  heavy  are 
recording,  while  we  are  discussing  colored  the  pediments  crowning  the  dormers,  and 
glass.  Any  one  who  has  visited  Boston  re-  p, 
members  those  quaint  old  houses  on  Beacon 
Hill  with  their  windows  tilled  with  panes  ot 
violet  glass.  This  is  one  of  the  delightful 
things  that  came  b\  accident,  for  the  violet 
tones  came  from  some  chemical  action  in  the 
glass.  There  are  dozens  of  other  reasons  for 
it,  one  hears  a  new  one  on  ever}-  side !  One 
theor}-  is  that  these  Simon-pure  Bostonians 
conceived  the  idea  of  living  in  a  violet  light 
for  ethical  reasons.  Another  theory  is  based 
on  the  hygienic  value  of  violet  rays.     But  the 

94 


What  a   root  ought  nol  to  look  like. 


WALLS  AND  THKIK  OPEXLXGS 

note    turtlur    how    imidi    narrower    in    tin-  plies,  ot  course,  to  the  usual  windows.     Spe- 

ddiniers  shown  on   Mr.   Rantoul's  house   is  cial  windows  may  be  high  trom  the  Hoor. 

the  space  on  either  side  of  the  window  sash.  Shutters  have  much  to  do  with  the  attrac- 

'Ihese  dormers  are  beautifully  jjtoportioncd.  tive    appearance   of   the   house.     The   most 

In  the  ordinary  dormer  a  common  fault  i^  channin-;  unes  are  the  old,  faded  blue-green 

seen  in  the  too  great  projection  of  th<-  roof  ones.     The  old  painters  did  not  achieve  this 

of  the  dormer.     Look  at  the  example  shown  delightful    color   deliberately,    they    used    a 

on  [lage  i  1<S.      What  could  he  more  hideous  green  paint  in  which  the  jellow  was  weaker 

than  the  great  flaring  overhang  of  the  dormer  than    the    blue.     The     )ellow     faded    out, 

roof"?     Compare  these  with  the  modest  dor-  grailuaily,  leaving  much  of  the  more  lasting 

mers  of  the  house  shown  on  pag(    i  ig.     Still  blue,  and  so  those  delicious  blue-green  tones 

another   distressing   use   of   dormers   lies   in  came  to  pass.     Recently  paint  manufacturers 

overdoing  the  number  of  them.     The  dor-  have  had  the  gomi  sense  to  copy  this  acci- 

mer  windows  in  the  house  shown  on  page  94  dental   color  with  excellent   results.     Crray, 

destroy    absolutd)    all    sense   of   restfulness  white,    P>ench   green,    and   sometimes   even 

and  give  the  house  a  ver\  unha[)p}  and  agi-  blue  shutters  are  used  with  interesting  color 

tated  appearance.  effect  nowadax  s. 

A  word  ot  caution  should  be  given:  it  is  In  most  of  the  newer  country  hou.ses  the 

well  to  finish  the  side  walls  of  the  dormer  downstairs    windows    are    grouped    to    give 

wintiow   in   tin-  same   niatcrial   as   the   r(X)f.  greater  lighr.  ami  no  shutters  are  used,  but 

Thus,   it   your  root   is  slnngle,   let  the  shin-  the    upstairs    windows    are    placed    at    well 

gles  be  carrietl  around  on  the  side  walls  of  stiuiied  intervals,  with  wide-spread  shutters 

the  dormer.     This  makes  them  more  incon-  that  help  balance  the  grou|)ed  windows  be- 

.spicuoiis  and  knits  fheni  to  the  root.  low.      One  seldom  sees  solid  shutters  on  the 

The  grouping  of  wimlows   is  done  most  groumi  Hoor,  nowadays,  but  ixrasionally  in 

successfully    in   the    English   country   house  clapboard   houses   one   .sees   batten   or   solid 

work,    and    well    repays   study.     One    thing  shutrers  on  the  first  story,  and  slat  shutters 

that  has  to  be  remembered,  however,  is  that  on  the  second  story. 

a  grouj)  of  windows  makes  the  application  of  It  is  much  better  to  stick  to  .shutters  of  one 

outside  .shutters  impo.ssible,   unless  the  win-  type  for  the  whole  hou.se.      I'ndoubtedl}  the 

tiows  are  spaced  .so  far  apart  that  they  lose  heavy,  soliil  old  shutters,  with  their  graceful 

the  feeling  of  being  grouped, — anil  .shutters  panel ings.  were  most  attractive  to  the  eye. 

are  ver}   attratfive  additions  to  the  hou.se.  But  for  real  u.se  they  are  a  nui.sancel     The 

In  placing  the  windows  in  relation  to  the  happ\  lompromi.se  is  the  shutter  that  has  a 

floor  and  ceiling,   remember  that   the  up|i<r  |)anel  at  the  top  in  which  a  little  tree,  or  a 

part  of  the  window  lights  the  room,  and  that  crescent,  or  a  binl,  or  what-nt)t  has  been  cut, 

the  nearer  it  is  to  the  ceiling  the  lighter  the  and    the    lower    two-thirds    .slatted.     These 

room  will  he.     As  a  general  rule  the  head  of  shutters  ailmit  suHicient   light  and  air.  and 

the   winilow   shouUI   come   to   within    about  are  very  attractive  foKi«d  back  against  the 

eight  inches  of  the  ceiling,  and  the  sill  within  housi-  walls.     They   gi\e  the  hou>e  an  «»ld 

two  feet  four  inches  of  the  Hoor.     This  ap-  fashioneii  homc-lik«-  character. 

95 


THE  HONEST  HOISE 

"An   old    hLshioiud   character."      Dcx-s    it  j^row.      It  }ou  arc  to  build  a  new  house  let 

seem  reactionary,  this  praise  of  the  old  tash-  it  be  so  designed  that  you  will  catch  in  an- 

ionedy     The    signiticance    ot     "home"    de-  ticipation  something  ot  wliat  tinu- will  bring. 

penils  upon  its  hmg  tradition;  on  the  idea  Vou  can  achieve  a  suggestion  of  this  char- 

ot  a  |)hice  of  well  established  security  and  acter  if  yovi  consider  carefully  the  design  of 

peace.      It  takes  time  for  such  a  tradition  to  )our  windows. 


.•\n  old  farmliouse  in   Normandy 


96 


CHAlTKll   \1 


THE  COXSinrHATKA'  OF  THE  ROOF 


THE  average  untniiiKil  lionic  huiKlcr  architect  has  a   hard  enough   time   with   it, 

is  inconsiderate  of  his  walls  and  win-  and  the  untrained  builder  finds  opportunity 

dows,  hut  he  is  positively  indifferent  for  a  thousand  mistakes  in  solving  the  prob- 

to  tlic  designing  of  the  roof  of  his  house.      It  leni. 

seems  to  be  a  tailing  of  untrained  architects.  How,  then,  are  ^()u  to  ilesign  your  roof"? 

and  all   carpenters,  as  well   as  ot   the  home  Iln    architect  sighs  in  despair  as  he  tries  to 

builder.     One  of  the  most  famous  professors  answer  you.     If  you  asked:     How  do  you  go 

at  the  Ecole  dc  Beaux  Arts  in  Paris  had  the  to   work   to   design   your   wimiows   or   your 

habit  of  saving,  when  he  was  calleil  upon  to  ta(;ade,  or  your  chimneys,  or  wliat  not,  his 

criticize  a  student's  plan,  "How  are  you  going  sigh  would  be  as  heartfelt.     Htiw  can  you 

to  roof  it"?"     He  realized  that  the  student  separate  the  designing  of  one  part  of  a  house 

had  n't  thought  of  how  he  was  going  to  root  from  that  of  the  others"?     ^'ou  can't  I     He 

it,  and  that  in  all  probability  it  was  impossi-  can't!     You  have  to  grope  and  grope  until 

ble  to  roof  the  proposed  building  reasonably,  you    fintl    your   vague   dream-liouse   gaining 

It  is  very  easv  to  draw  a   pleasing  floor  form.      Tin  ii  the  tonn  grows  more  definite 

plan,  given  plenty  of  pencils  and  paper,  but  ami  becomes  style,  ami  when  you  have  your 

when  you  try  to  visualize  a  house  built  up-  gen<'ral  style  decided,  th<-  iletails  of  r<H)t  and 

ward  from  these  floor  plans  you  find  yourself  wimiows   and   chinm<'ys  suggest   themselves, 

lici(i(Ics.sl\-  iii\()l\cd.      \i)\\  can'r  dtcide  how  little  by  little. 

the  room--  on  the  second  flcMir  will  find  them-  One  thing  you  are  sure  of:  you  must  have 

selves,  and  the  roof  liisappears  into  the  clouds,  a  roof,  anil  it  must  be  a  gtxxl  <ine.     Who  ot 

You  can't  even  imagine  it,  except  as  a  poetic,  >is  has  n't  saiil :     ".Xs  long  as  we  hav<-  a  n>ot 

friendly  covering  that  will  .somehow  tit  itself  over  our  heads — "     'Die  very  spirit  of  hos- 

comfortably  over  \nur  liouse.  pitality  hangs  iipon  the  pro|MT  consideration 

The    troubh-    i^,    it    won't.     The    rraineii  of  the  rtH)ftree.     Your  riH)f  and  your  hiarth 

97 


rm:  honks r  hoise 


miL>^t  be  untailinf;  in  pivin};  you  shelter  ami 
warmth,  it  you  wouKI  make  the  most  ot  your 
house. 

The  two  tyjies  ot  root  in  general  use  are 
the  Hat  riwt  and  the  root  composed  of  slant- 
inj:  surtaees.  It  is  with  the  varieties  of  the 
latter  that  we  who  build  small  houses  are 
particularly  concerned.  \\'e  seldom  use  flat 
roofs,  for  ours  is  a  countrj-  of  rain  and  snow. 
We  associate  round  roofs  with  Eastern  tem- 
ples and  Eskimo  huts.  But  ever)  where  we 
see  three  ty|)es  of  sloping  roof:  the  gambrel, 
the  gable,  and  the  hip.  Almost  all  our  houses 
are  roofed  with  these  tj'pes,  or  combinations 
of  them.  Illustrations  of  each  type  are 
shown  on  pages  16,   19  and  31  respectiveh . 

It  seems  easy,  given  only  three  types  of 
roofs,  to  select  one  and  play  safe,  but  just  as 
there  are  onh'  a  few  kinds  of  windows  and  a 
thousand  vicious  ways  of  misplacing  them. 
so  there  are  so  many  mistaken  ways  of  han- 
dling your  roof  that  }()u  have  good  reason  to 
beware  the  seeming  simplicity  of  "putting  in 
your  thumb  and  picking  out  a  plum" — be  it 
gable,  gambrel  or  hip.  You  can  design  an}' 
one  of  them  so  that  it  looks  like  a  pasteboard 
crown  or  a  heavy  load  of  tile  or  shingles. 

Go  out  into  vour  neighborhooil  and  see  if 


\m\  can't  tell  a  good  roof  from  a  bad  one. 
Stud)  first  the  little  good  and  bad  sketches  on 
this  page,  and  then  exercise  your  powers  of 
criticism.  It  is  good  for  }ou  and  it  won't 
hurt  your  neighbors. 

The  three  houses  on  this  page  all  have 
uambrel  roofs.  Mr.  Jones's  roof  is  bad 
because  its  lines  are  flattened  out  and 
weak.  Mr.  Brown's  roof  is  a  hundretl  times 
worse,  because  it  is  spread  over  a  thrcc-story 
house,  and  the  eaves  of  a  gambrel  roof  are 
best  nt\er  more  than  one  story  from  the 
ground.  Mr.  Green's  delightful  little  house, 
on  the  contrary,  has  a  pleasanth  i)roportioned 
roof  of  logical  lines. 

The  slope  of  your  roof  depends  on  the 
style  of  your  house,  the  arrangement  of  your 
plan,  the  climate,  and  many  other  such  condi- 
tions. 

The  gable  roof  lends  itself  to  the  necessities 
of  houses  built  in  climates  where  snow  is 
plentiful.  It  is  the  roof  most  used,  anil  it  is 
the  easiest  of  the  three  types  to  construct. 
It  has  its  difficulties,  however.  You  have  to 
be  careful  that  it  does  not  project  too  far 
over  the  face  of  the  gable  wall.  The  roof 
that  extends  too  far  looks  like  cardboard. 
If  it  hugs  the  wall  and  is  finished  with  a 


At  the  left   is   Mr.  Jones's  House;   at  the  center  Mr.  Brown's;   at  the  right  Mr.  Green's.     The  roof  lines  of  the 
latter  are  designed  bv  the  method  shown  on   page   102. 

98 


THE  CONSlDKKAl  ION   OF    IHK  KOOK 


Joy  Wliccler   l)o«,  Arcliilect. 
Mr.    Dow's   hou^ie  at   Summit,   New   Jersey,   is  full  of   unusual    ilciail.     Note   the    leaded    glass   windows,   the   plain, 
steep    roof,    the   stroiig   contrast    between    the   stained    woodwork  and  the  stucco  walls. 

simple  molding,  the  effect  is  usually  happy,  degrees  with  the  hori/on.  than  to  have 
Compare  the  projcctioas  ot  the  roots  ot  the  it  just  at  torty-hve.  For  houses  in  the  Enf;- 
houses  shown  on  this  jiaj^e.  One  looks  like  glish  style  {.generally  a  stceppitched  nx)t 
a  slip.shod  arran^^enient  of  pasteboard.  The  sueh  as  is  shown  in  Mr.  Dow's  hou.se  above 
other  root  fits  its  house  perfectl),  and  the  is  most  in  character.  From  a  practical  |Hiint 
narrow  molding  is  as  clean-cut  as  if  it  had  of  view  it  is  rarely  safe  to  risk  a  rtxit  with  a 
been  inotiflcd  h\  a  practised  .sculptor. 

I  don't  think,  liowever,  that  any  i)hoto- 
graph  or  drawing  could  give  atletjiiately  the 
bad  impression  which  a  gnat  tiaring  roof 
gives  in  real  it).  There  is  something  so 
heavy  and  brutal  ami  common  about  such  a 
roof,  that  one  must  get  the  imjiression  of  the 
actual  house  as  it  exists  in  three  liimensions 
to  appreciate  the  gravity  of  this  fault. 

,\s  for  the  pitch  of  the  root,  it  is  better 
to  make  the  slope  somewhat  over  torty-hve     "" 

99 


THE  IIONKSl    HOLSE 


25 


5 


3X0 


m 


5? 


*r 


J/es 


□ 

L 

r 

B 

— 

'/.' 

.• 

^<. 

pitch  less  th:in  twenty-five  degrees,  if  it  is  to 
withstand  rain  and  snow. 

There  are  tour  common  ways  in  which 
the  gable  roof  is  terminated  at  the  gable  wall. 
These  are  shown  on  this  page.  The  first 
temiination  of  the  gable  is  common  in  Eng- 
lish cottages,  and  is  usually  used  on  a  house 
with  stucco  walls.  The  second  is  frequently 
used  with  half  timber  construction,  and  the 
thin!  with  stone  or  brick  walls.  The  gable 
termination  shown  at  the  right  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  page  is  a  special  problem,  and 
will  be  considered  in  Chapter  XIII. 

It  seems  dr}-,  does  n't  it,  to  spend  much 
time  on  small  matters  like  moldings"?  Ac- 
tually, although  it  may  be  difficult  to  be- 
lieve, it  is  the  lack  of  understanding  of  such 
details  that  is  responsible  for  so  nnuli  Ixui 


architecture.  Let  us,  as  patiently  as  we  can, 
consider  each  ot  these  gable  terminations  in 
order.  So  far  as  (A)  is  concerned,  the  most 
re[)rehensible  error  to  whirh  it  is  liable  has 
already  been  noted  in  the  preceding  page. 
It  consists  in  giving  the  roof  too  great  a  pro- 
jection over  the  roof  of  the  wall.  As  the 
drawing  shows,  the  projection  under  ortii- 
nar}-  circumstances  should  not  be  more  than 
three  inches. 

The  type  of  gable  finish  (  B)  is  called  the 
barge  board  termination.  The  barge  board 
is  the  large  flat  board  which  runs  parallel 
to  the  roof,  and  projects  from  the  wall.  It 
is  sujiported  by  brackets.  In  much  of  the 
P"nglish  and  French  construction  the  barge 
board  is  highly  ornamented,  but  this  decora- 
tion is  not  essential.      It  this  type  of  ternii- 


100 


THE  CONSIDERATION  OF  THE  HOOF 


nation  is  to  be  used,  it  is  important  to  re-  You  remember,  I  am  sure,  some  old  Colo- 
member  three  things : — do  not  let  your  barge  nial  or  Georgian  courthouse  with  its  im{X)»- 
board  project  too  tar  from  the  face  of  the  ing  front  of  huge,  white-painted  columns. 
gable;  do  not  make  it  too  large,  and  do  not  The  columns,  without  doubt,  remain  charly 
tail  to  support  it  by  brackets.  in  your  mind.     .\s  a  child,  I  remember  won- 

There  is  little  that  needs  be  said  here  con-  dering  how  anything  in  the  world  could  be 
cerning  the  third  type  of  termination  (C).  so  big  as  the  columns  of  just  such  an  old 
It  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  all  gable  courthouse.  I  don't  think  I  ever  tried  to 
terminations,  and  is  used  extensively  in  brick  look  to  see  what  wiu-;  above  the  columns, 
colonial  architecture,  and  in  English  stone  Of  course,  I  knew  the  building  had  a  roof, — 
construction.  The  roof  is  contained  between  but  how  that  roof  ended  above  the  columns 
the  two  gable  ends,  and  shows  only  at  the  I  never  stopped  to  notice.  And  my  attitude 
eaves.      In  using  this  gable  termination  the     wasn't  so  different  from  that  of  grown-ups. 

.\t  any  rate,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  over  the 
columns  was  a  cornice  and  pediment, — in 
fact,  the  pediment  looked  something  like 
(D)  on  page  lOO.  Of  course,  the  courthouse 
with  the  columns  required  a  comj)lete  cornice 
and  pediment  to  conform  to  the  classic  mtxi- 
'Is  from  which  it  is  copied.  In  the  case 
of  small  houses,  such  as  that  shown  on  page 
86,  where  no  columns  are  uscii,  it  is  custom- 
ary to  modify  the  cornice  and  to  omit  the 
architrave  and  sometimes  the  trie/e.  and 
when  the  corner  of  the  house  is  reached,  only 
the  upi)er  moldings  are  continued  up  the  edge 


The  barge  board  in  this  house  is  brutally   large.     Com- 
pare it  with  the  barge  board  shown  on  page  45. 


lines  of  the  coping  should  always  be  simple. 

Compare  the  simple  and  effective  coping  of  of  tlie  gable.     Notwithstanduig  this  moditi- 

the  houses  on  pages  21  and  SH  with  the  hor-  cation,  the  moldings  should  have  the  charac- 

rid  accentuated  coping  of  the  house  on  page  t<r  of  tlu-  classic  molding.s.     To  know  h..w 

-5  to  use  the.se  moldings,  you  must  under>tanil 

Finally  we  come  to  the  last  type  (D).     It  something   of   the   classic   tradition.     What 

is  the  cla.ssic  pediment,  and  is  common  in  the  that  tradition  is  we  shall  take  up  when  we 

larger  Colonial  work.      In  this  ca.se  the  pro-  comr  to  the  chapter  on  columns, 

jection   from   the   face  of   the  gable   is   the  We  now  come  to  the  gambrel   rix>f.      In 

same   as  the   projection   at   the  eaves.      For  general,   what  has  been  said   regarding   the 

the  ordinary  gable  roof  the  projection  of  the  gable  roof  applies  to  this  als.).      It  is  lv->t  to 

roof  at   the  eaves  must   be  greater  than   at  have  only  a  slight  projection  at  the  gambrel 

the  face  of  the  gable— and  amounts  visually  end  of  tiie  liuilding  and  a  unich  larger  over- 

to  about  twenty  inches.      But  the  rules  for  hang  at  the  eaves.      In  the  best  Cohmial  work 

the  classic  ixdiment   and  cornice   are  nuich  thi-  rule  always  obtains. 

.\   very   sjircial   diflicult).   however,   con- 


more  rigid. 


101 


THK  HONKSr  HOUSE 


fronts  the  designer  ot  the  pambrel  root.  On 
page  98  I  {winted  out  some  ot  the  characttr- 
istic  errors  to  which  the  gambrel  roof  is  liable. 
It  is  evident  that  the  chief  trouble  lies  in 
the  determination  of  the  slope  of  the  roof 
surfaces.  They  must  not  be  too  steep  or  too 
flat. 

We  very  often  see  unpleasant  fzambnl 
roofs,  such  as  that  at  the  to[)  of  this  page. 
How  shall  we  go  about  to  make  a  better  one"!* 
There  is  a  general  rule  whleh  will  be  found 
to  give  good  results  for  average  domestic 
work. 

In  the  tigure  at  the  bottom  of  this  page  let 
AB  represent  half  the  width  of  the  house. 
Let  us  suppose  the  width  to  be  25  feet,  which 
is  that  of  man}-  small  houses.  Let  B  be  the 
edge  of  the  outer  molding  of  the  cornice 
which  projects  20  inches  from  the  wall  face. 

With  the  point  A  as  a  center,  strike  the 
arc  of  a  circle  as  shown  in  the  little  diagram. 
Draw  the  top  line  of  the  roof  tangent  to  the 
circle  at  an  angle  of  thirty  degrees  with  the 
horizontal  line.  Then  join  the  tip  of  the 
eaves  with  this  point  of  tangency  as  shown. 
To  make  the  roof  graceful  it  is  well  to  have 
the  lower  line  slightly  curved  at  the  eaves. 


This  shows  a  method  for  designing  a  gambrel  roof. 


An  example  of  a  badly  designed  gambrel  roof.  Note 
the  awkward  projection  of  the  roof  beyond  the  face  of  the 
walls. 


Now  }()u  have  to  test  this  roof  in  relation 
with  the  tioor  lines,  esj-ecially  the  second 
floor  line,  to  determine  if  the  necessary  dor- 
mer windows  will  take  their  right  places. 
By  a  series  of  simple  experiments  you  will 
arrive  at  a  good  roof  slope. 

In  the  house  shown  at  the  top  of  this  page 
the  roof  lines  are  stiff  and  harsh.  The 
pleasant  sweep  ot  the  roof  at  the  eaves,  so 
familiar  in  the  old  houses,  is  absent.  The 
old  Dutch  Colonial  roof  is  worthy  ot  great 
commendation,  but  it  is  easy  to  lose  all  the 
charm  ot  this  roof  by  bad  lines. 

The  third  type  is  the  hip  roof.  It  is  called 
"hip"  because  of  the  rafters  which  run  up 
diagonally  from  each  corner  to  meet  the 
ridge,  and  into  which  the  other  ratters  are 
framed.  With  this  roof  there  is  only  one 
mistake  to  watch  for — the  overhang  of  the 
eaves.  If  the  overhang  is  too  great,  the  roof 
will  look  like  grandfather's  hat  on  a  small 
boy.  It  is  usually  a  good  plan  to  bring  the 
eaves  down  as  near  as  possible  to  the  heads 
of  the  windows.  This  gives  an  impression 
of  lowness,  and  low  houses  usually  have 
much  greater  charm  than  high  ones. 

So  far  in  this  chapter  the  difficulties  which 
are  peculiar  to  the  design  of  the  gable,  the 


102 


THE  CONSIDElUriON  OF  THE  ROOF 


gambrcl    and    the   W\[>   root    have   bt-t-n   con- 
sidered. 

These  three  types  of  roof  are  distinct,  and 
in  building  any  house  it  is  well  to  avoid 
combining  more  than  two  of  them.  It  is 
usually  best  to  use  one  type.  Let  }our  roots, 
as  much  as  possible,  belong  to  the  same 
family.  Thus,  it  your  main  house  is  roofeil 
with  a  gable  and  you  have  a  projecting  wing, 
do  not  use  a  gambrel  roof  on  it.  Do  not 
make  a  salad  of  }()ur  house  top.  As  a  rule  =; 
the  roofs  which  go  together  are  the  gable 
and  hi[i  roof,  and  the  gambrel  and  hip  roof. 


Do  not  mix  the  gable  and  uambrel.     It  luis 


Here    ilie    rouf    tils    the    li(iii>c,    and    tlic    relation    iif    the 
eaves  of  ihe  roof  lo  the  second  slorv  windows  is  tiouii. 


been  done,  Imr  it  is  rarely  satisfactory.  worked  hard  for  beauty.     Look  at  the  long 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  get  much  length     resttul  lines  of  the  house  shown  on  page  65 

for  roof  line  in  a  small  house,  but  wherever     and  com{)are  it  with  the  agitated  roof  lines 

it    is    possible    it    is    to  be    strongh'    reconi-     ot  the  houses  shown  on  [xige  64.     Nothing 

mended.     A    little   cottage   one   room    deep     could    be   more    restless    or    unpreinissessing 

and  one  story  high   that   is   phucd   parallel      than  these,  and  yet  they  are  no  worse  than 

with  the  village  street  is  more  pleasing  than     other  houses  one  sees  every  day. 

a  very  much  finer  house  that  shows  you  onh'  When   your   house   is   small,    try    all    the 

its  narrow  <  nd.     Often  one  gets  a  finer  effect     harder  to  get  your  roof  simjile.     .Sometimes 

of  lengtii  ot    line  in  a  small  cabin   that  sits     this   is   achieved   by    the  combining  of   two 

low  on  the  ground  than  in  a  house  that  has     small  houses  into  one,  so  ;is  to  get  an  e.xpres- 

sion  of  length,  as  is  shown  on  pag<'s  1  ^2  and 

i^V     I'^'^  your   root   be  as   undi>turbed   :is 

[possible. 

Look   again   at   "F'airacres,"   on   page  49. 

The    root    has    one    long,    unbroken    riiige. 

"But,"  you  say,  "this  is  a  huge  house;  how 

are  you  going  to  get  a  long  ridge-line  with 

a  small  house,  the  i>lan  ot  winch  is  squared" 

Well,  if  your  ])lan  is  .st|uare,  do  not  nK)t  it 

i^      wirh   a   hip  r(X)f;   if  p«>ssible,   luse   a   gable. 

licttcr  ailvice  is  this; — Try  to  di-sign  your 

house  .so  it  will  not  be  perfectly  square  in 

plan.     \  |\vr;uiiidical  rt)ot  on  a  snudl  house 

is  alway>;  unpleasant; — such  a  lunise  is  that 

Tliis  house,  with  (be  exception  of  its  roof.  i»  like  iliai  showu  ou  the  bottom  ot  page  I  1 S.  One  way 
shown  at  li.e  top  of  the  page.  -Note  ihc  too  great  over-  ^^^^^  ^j-  ^j^^.  Ji(f,t.i,Ity  j^  the  twin  hoJlSC  S<-hcnir 
hang  of  the  roof. 

103 


^h 


:^i.i. 


f 

m^^ 


THP:  HONES'!   HorsE 


alrcaily  s[wken  of  in  the  pnceilinj^  paraj^raph. 
Atttr  all,  tor  all  you  can  tell  by  looking'  at  it, 
"Fairacres"  might  be  such  a  twin  or  triplicate 
house. 

Avoiti  dormers  which  are  so  big  that  they 
destroy  the  lii  >iL.'n  of  rlic  root  like  that  shown 


'^5 


Aiiuilicr    illiistraiinii   of   bad    riMit    lines.     It    the   iloimer 
has  to  b«  so  big,  why  try  to  have  a  gambrel  roof? 

on  this  pa<;e,  where  in  order  to  ^ain  room 
for  the  second  floor  the  dormer  is  made  so 
larpe  that  only  two  thin  ribbons  of  the 
gambrel  roof  are  left.  In  a  case  like  this, 
it  would  have  been  better  to  give  up  the 
gambrel  roof,  and  make  a  simple,  two  story 
and  a  halt  house.  A  recent  atrocity  is  the 
double  dormer, — one  dormer  on  top  of  the 
other.  It  it  were  carried  a  little  bit  further 
with  still  another  dormer  on  top  of  the  sec- 
ond one,  the  roof  would  look  like  a  wedding 
cake,  or  a  Chinese  pagoda. 

So  much  tor  the  design  of  your  roof. 
The  consideration  of  the  material  is  also  im- 
portant. What  is  the  roof  to  be  made  of 
— shingles,  or  tiles,  or  slate,  or  thatch"? 
And  what  is  its  color  to  be? 

Lately  there  has  been  an  effort  to  shingle 
roofs  in  curving  lines,  imitating  thatch. 
Thatch  is  a  charming  miracle  of  nature  and 
of  architecture  that  should  n't  be  imitated,  as 
a  matter  of  fact.     But  occasionall}'  a  mas- 

104 


terl)  architect  comes  along  and  accomplishes 
a  wonderful  effect.  Mr.  Harrie  T.  Linde- 
bcrg  has  accomplished  some  reall\  satisfac- 
tory roofs  with  thatch-like  curves.  One 
of  these  is  shown  on  page  105.  Usually, 
the  thatch  imitations  are  very  distressing, 
and  at  best  the  woven  shingle  roof  invites 
criticism  on  the  ground  that  it  is  an  imita- 
tion. 

The  cvcryda)-  roof  is  made  of  shingles, 
left  to  weather  a  soft  gray.  Certainly  for 
average  wooden  houses  this  is  the  most  suc- 
cessful treatment,  and  the  least  expensive. 
The  only  sensible  variation  of  color  is  to 
stain  the  shingles  wood-brown,  or  soft  green. 
Brown  shingles  seem  to  belong  to  certain 
bungalows,  and  green  shingles  are  very  pleas- 
ant on  the  little  white  cottages  that  sweeten 
the  country  landscape.  But  the  eccentric 
roof  is  always  to  be  avoided :  red  shingles  are 
somehow  always  terrible,  where;is  red  tiles 
are  almost  always  pleasant. 

The  temptation  of  gay-colored  roofs  is 
hard  to  resist.  I  have  seen  one  blue  roof 
that  gave  me  great  pleasure,  and  the  blue- 
green  copper  roof  of  Mr.  Herter's  house  at 
East  Hampton,  Long  Island,  is  a  rare  sight, 
but  the  best  roof  for  all  neighborhoods  is 
the  uneven  red  one  of  flat  tiles.  When  we 
planned  a  little  house  for  Forest  Hills  Gar- 
dens, I  had  so  long  dreamed  of  a  white  and 
green  house,  with  green  tiles  on  the  roof, 
and  a  whitewashed  chimne)'  with  green 
stripes  around  its  top,  and  green  lattices, 
that  it  was  difficult  to  yield  to  restrictions. 
But  to  all  my  arguments  that  it  would  be 
cool,  and  fresh,  and  just  as  fireproof  as  if 
it  were  red  all  over — the  architects  said  me 
nay.  All  the  houses  must  have  red  roofs,  to 
pull  the  place  together.  I  recognize  their 
wisdom  when  I  go  through  other  towns,  with 


THE  COXSIDKHATION  OF  THK  HOOF 


Designed    l>y    H.    I".    Lindchcrj;.  Au.r.i  &  Lindeberg,   Architects. 

Nothing   could    be   more   charming  than   this   glimpse   through  the  shrubbery  showing  the  excellently  designed   lat- 
tice.    Note  the  way  in  which  the  shingles  arc  woven. 


vari-colorcd  roofs  s[)r«-acl  out  like  a  crazy 
quilt. 

Our  roots  belong  to  mir  (.(iiniiiunitics  as 
well  as  to  ourselves,  and  it  is  only  fair  to 
make  the  best  of  them. 

Yes,  we  have  "to  make  the  best"  of  our 
roof.  Do  \ou  know  that  every  roof  repre- 
sents a  conflict  V  We  try  to  cover  our  house 
simpl).  we  know  that  a  simple  roof  costs 
less  and  looks  better  than  a  comjilicated  one. 
but  we  also  wish  to  ufili/e  the  space  uniler 
the  root.     We  begrudge  the  space  lost  h\  the 


slantinp  surfaces.  If  you  cannot  atford  to 
use  the  space  under  your  nK>f  tor  an  attic, 
tr)'  to  chcMise  a  t\pe  ot  plan  and  r<M>l 
which  will  permit  \()u  to  utilize  the  .space 
without  spoiling  the  e.xterior  ap|H"arance  ot 
your  root.  I  remember  a  house  in  which 
the  root  was  so  arran^eil  that  the  attic 
was  n't  (juite  hi^h  ent)uj^h  to  staml  u|>  in  with- 
out bumping  one's  head.  ^ Ct  it  w.i^  m) 
nctir/y  practicable  that  for  twenty  year>,  the 
(Kcuj>ants  bumped  tlieir  h«  ;ul>  in  the  attempt 
to  utilize  it.     Finallv  the\  burst  throudi  the 


io> 


THK  HONEST  HOISE 

riK)t  with  luif^f  dormers, — with  the  result  son  wh\  your  roof  should  not  be  a  pnictical  as 
that  the  appearance  ot  the  exterior  ot  the  well  as  a  beautiful  one.  if  you  take  time  to 
house  suffered  appallingly.     There  is  no  na-     think  it  out.      But  dont  be  luo  practical. 


Wilson  Eyre,  Architect. 
Nearly   all   modern   half-timber   houses   are  built   with    a    machine-like    finish    in    the    half-iimber    work.     Note    in 
this    drawing    of    the    house    at    Jenkintown,    Pennsylvania,     the    irregular,    hand-hewn   character   of   the   timber.     The 
charm  of  half-timber  work   lies  largely  in  this  rough  suggestion  of  strength. 


1 06 


cnAPi"Ki{  xrr 


DETAILS  OF  SM Al  I    IIOLSE  DESIGN 


TO  refresh  your  memory  turn  hark  to  may    otherwise   have.     It    is    these    smaller 

\y.v^r    44.      You    will    sec    that    we  things  which  are  sometimes  the  most  vicious, 

planned     to    discuss     the     ( lemcnts  I  remember  an  old  stable  I  used  to  pass 

which  enter  invariably  into  the  licsij^n  of  a  on   my   way   to  school.      It   was   an   tmpre- 

house.     Whatever  kind  of  houseyou  have  it  tentious  affair;  rather  low  lyin^  and  hiiiden 

must  have  some  kind  of  setting  or  entourage;  by  trees;  but  I  never  paid  any  particular  at- 

it  must  he  one  color  or  another;  it  mu.^t  he  tention  to  the  modesty  of  its  retreat.     Over 

built  ot  some  material  ami  it  must  have  walls  the  large  door  was  carved  a  sunburst.      Do 

with  openings  in  them  and  a  roof  overhead,  you  know  what  a  sunburst  is"?     It  is  a  piece 

These  are  the  important  elements  which  we  of  ornament  representing  the  rays  of  the  .sim 

li;iM    (italt  with.      In  addition  to  these  there  and    usually    semi-circular    in    shajie.     This 

are   certain   other   things   to   consider.      For  one  in  particular  had  a  yellow  center,  from 

examjile,   your  house   usually  has  chimneys  which  orange  rays  Ha>hed  out  over  a  blue 

which  are  visible;  it  usually  has  leaders  for  background.     It    sounds    frightful.    ilo«-s  n"t 

the  rain  water;  it  sometimes  has  balconies;  it  if?     Yet   I   used   to  l(H)k   at   it   with   e<)ua- 

always  has  at  least  one  exterior  tl(M)r.      More-  nimity.      In    passing    the    stable    I    always 

over,  columns  may  be  used  in  its  design,  ami  lookeil  at  the  sunburst  and  wondired  in  a  d\il! 


it  very  likely  has  a  porch. 

After  all,  it  is  the  consideration  i>t  tin' 
various  details  uliiih  niak<  ^  or  mars  \(tur 
house.  \N  (  have  seen  in  the  |)receding  chap- 
ters on  the  walls  and  windows  and  the 
roof  that  hail  design  consists  largely  in  tin- 


way  how  such  things  w«re  l^orn.  I  know 
now.  .\nd  I  know  this  one  small  detail  in 
tlie  design  of  that  old  stable  completely 
coimteracted  the  charm  which  the  buihiing 
oth<rwi-<'  hail. 

On<-  diH-s  n't   nied   to  take  so  violent   an 


way  in  which  the  window  and  the  mof  were  example  as  a  sunburst,  however,  to  make  fh«' 
treated  in  detail.  A  hadiv  de^i;:neii  donmr  jioint  clear  that  it  is  the  character  ot  the 
window,  a  hideous  porch,  an  ugly  chimney,  ditad  ot  your  house  which  largely  makes  or 
will  go  far  to  dotroy  any  merit  )(»ur  houx-     breaks  it.     Look  at  the  old  hou-<     h.mn  .in 

107 


THK  HONEST  HOISE 


The  sunlit   porch  of  this  old   house  at  Mt.  Vernon,  New   York,  is  very  inviting. 


this   paj^f.     It   was   built   almost   one   hun-  began  to  submit  to  a  number  of  "improve- 

dred  and  fifty  years  ago.     It  began  simply,  ments."     A  porch  was  added.     The  posts  of 

ProbabI}-  at  first  it  had  neither  porch  nor  this  porch  are  very  simple;  their  designer, 

dormers.     The   general    proportions   of   the  moreover,  had  sentiment  enough  to  make  the 

house   were   excellent.     The   window   open-  cornice  over  the  post  small  and  in  keeping 

ings  in  the  front  wall  were  well  disposed,  and  with    the    unpretentious   gable    termination. 

the  roof  was  terminated  at  its  gable  end  with  So    far   so   good.     The    appearance    of    the 

the  modest  molding  so  commonly   used   in  house  was  doubtless  benefited  by  the  addi- 

the  early  Colonial   work.     Then   the  house  tion  of  the  porch.     Then  the  dormers  were 


J* » k M_ 


The  first  and  second  floor  plans  of  the  Mt.  Vernon  house.     Note  that  the  second  floor  plan  is  modified  and  that 
three  dormers  are  shown  instead  of  four. 

1 08 


DETAILS  OF  SMALL  HOISK  DLSICN 


added — and  half  of  the  charm  of  the 
old  house  was  destroyed.  Why'^  Because 
there  ought  to  be  no  dormers'?  Certain!) 
not.  But  because  the  dormers  are  too  big, 
because  there  are  too  many  ot  them  and  be- 
cause they  are  awkward  in  design.  Com- 
pare for  instance  their  large  pediments  and 
heavy  moldings  with  the  charming  and  deli- 
cate cornice  over  the  posts.  This  is  what  I 
mean  by  saying  that  it  is  detail  that  counts. 
1  am  going  to  press  this  matter  further. 
The  old  Mount  Wrnon  house  started  our 
well  and  was  damaged  subsequently.  Sup- 
pose, on  the  other  hand,  we  start  out  badly. 
Suppose  we  have  a  house  like  that  shown  at 
the  bottom  of  this  page.  The  drawing  was 
made  from  a  photograph  of  an  actual  house. 
What  is  wrong  with  if?  Compare  it  with 
the  house  at  the  top  of  the  page.  The  shape 
of  the  two  houses  is  the  same,  thej-  have  the 
same  number  of  windows,  the  roofs  are  alike, 
and  yet  the  upper  house  is  attractive,  and 
the  lower  one  disagreeable.  What  is  the  rea- 
son?    Look  a  little  closer  and  you  will  no- 


Modern  American  DumcMic  architecture, — ala>! 


What    ihf    house    lx;lii\v    mislit    have    looked    like    >(    its 
designer  had  known  more  about  architecture. 

tice  that  instead  of  a  heavy  round  tile  roof 
with  fantastic  brackets  at  the  eaves,  the 
upper  house  shows  a  simple  Hat  tile,  or  shin- 
gle roof  with  simple  moldings  at  the  eaves. 
Instead  of  the  eaves  being  high  alx)ve  the 
heads  of  the  second  floor  windows,  they  are 
brought  close  to  them.  Instead  of  the  huge 
awkward  dormer  windows  in  the  r<H)f, 
smaller  ones  have  been  substituted.  Instead 
of  uninteresting  single  panes  of  glass,  the 
window  sash  is  divideil  into  small  panes. 
Instead  of  a  pretentious  and  more  or  less  use- 
less porch,  a  simple  hoot!  has  been  placed 
over  the  entranci-  door.  Instead  ot  the  hi)u>e 
being  raised  high  out  ot  the  groumi,  a  ter- 
race has  been  used  to  bring  the  house  cUx>c 
to  the  ground,  giving  the  pleasing  impression 
of  the  house  growing  out  of  the  ground,  auii 
therefore  belonging  to  the  lamkcaiic  and  ni>t 
looking  like  a  hat-box  placed  on  the  fl(H»r. 

So  you  see  there  is  nuich  in  the  wa\  we  de- 
sign these  various  details. 

Before  taking  up  the  matter  of  doors,  col- 
unms  and  [M>rches,  which  are,  after  the  va- 
rious elements  alreaiiy  considered  in  the 
previous  chapters,  the  most  iiniH>rtant  mat- 


109 


THK   HONKS  1    HOISE 


ters  in  house  design.  I  am  t^oing  to  toiah 
on  two  or  ttiree  t)th«Ts  ot  Irsser  importance. 
First  ot  tluM-  is  the  chimney. 

In  the  older  cottages  ot  Enghind  the  chim- 
ney was  usually  made  much  ot.  Otten  it 
took  huge  and  uncouth  shapes,  but  usually 
this  resulted  trom  the  tact  that  many  and 
large  fireplaces  had  to  be  accomnKxlated. 
However  that  maj-  be,  when  the  colonists  set- 
tled this  country  they  brought  with  them 
the  tradition  of  the  huge  chimney.  It  was 
customar}-  in  the  old  New  England  houses  to 
place  the  chimney  in  the  middle  of  the  house, 
— and  then  build  a  house  around  ir.  In  tliis 
way  the  cxcupants  of  the  house  were  able  to 
utilize  the  chimney  for  as  many  as  four 
fireplaces,  and  thus  keep  the  house  warm. 
It  is  not  until  comparatively  late  that  the 
chimnej  became  a  decorative  feature.  When 
the  Colonial  brick  house  developed,  the  chim- 
neys were  otten  arranged  at  the  end  of  the 
house,  in  the  manner  shown  on  the  Henr}' 
house  on  page  21.  This  trcatincnr  is  ryjiical 
of  old  Southern  houses,  where  the  wide  hall 
usurped  the  center  ot  the  house,  and  at  least 
two  large  chimneys  and  often  several  smaller 
ones  were  necessary  to  heat  the  large,  high 
ceiled  rooms. 

As  has  been  pointed  out,  when  wood  and 
brick  join  each  other  horizontally,  the  wood 
upon  the  brick,  gravity  acts  to  hold  them  to- 
gether and  if  they  don't  "cohere"  in  any  other 
way  at  least  the  weight  of  the  wood  holds  it 
in  place.  Therefore  in  a  wooden  house  it  i^ 
well  not  to  expose  your  iliinin(\  on  the  out- 
side. Often  space  on  the  insitie  is  at  a  pre- 
mium, and  this  jnishes  the  chimney  out. 
\N'hen  it  is  thus  pushed  out  it  can  at  least  be 
painted  the  color  of  the  house,  or  treated  in 
some  way  to  make  it  inconspicuous.  Of 
course  in  a  brick  or  stone  house  the  danger 


rarely  arises,  since  the  chimney  is  usually  of 
the  same  material  as  the  house  proper,  and 
consequentl}  belongs  to  it. 

So  far  as  the  design  of  the  chimney  is  con- 
cerned, whether  it  is  to  be  a  chimney  which 
shows  its  full  length  or  one  which  starts  trom 
tlie  roof,  it  should  not  be  too  high.  Per- 
haps the  only  criticism  one  can  make  ot  the 
excellent  house  shown  on  page  70  is  the  too 
great  height  of  the  chimneys.  The  tops  of 
the  chimneys  should  not  come  much  above 
the  main  ridge  line.  It  is  best,  it  possible, 
to  have  your  chimney  intersect  the  root  at 
the  ridge  or  near  ir,  or  to  have  it  located  on 
the  face  of  the  house  wall,  either  at  the  ga- 
ble as  on  page  21  or  at  the  side  wall  as  on 
page  40.  It  appears  in  this  way  to  be  tied 
to  the  walls  ot  the  house.  \\'hen,  however, 
it  emerges  from  the  roof  as  shown  in  the 
house  on  page  48,  the  result  is  usually  less 
hapjjy.  As  to  the  elaboration  of  the  design, 
ot  course  a  chimney  like  that  on  the  \'ander- 
bilt  Lodge  shown  on  page  9  is  verv'  beauti- 
tul,  hut  such  chinmeys  are  difficult  to  do  well. 

Balconies  are  untortunately  little  used  in 
this  coimtry,  chiefly  for  the  reason,  I  sup- 
pose, that  their  place  is  taken  bj-  porches. 
And  yet  nothing  is  more  charming  than  a 
well  designed  balcony  such  as  is  shown  on 
page  70.  And  a  balcony  such  as  that  on 
Mr.  Dow's  house  on  page  39  will  appeal 
readily  to  the  imagination.  In  France  and 
Ital}-  where  it  is  common  to  use  small  iron 
balconies  the  charm  of  the  house  is  greatly 
added  to  by  their  use.  Moreover,  a  balcony 
such  as  that  shown  on  the  \'illa  Gambreria 
on  page  8,  though  it  is  nothing  more  than  a 
railing  between  the  jambs  of  the  windows, 
has  a  considerable  practical  value.  Inside 
this  room,  one  can  open  the  windows  and  feel 
that   he   is  n't   altogether   "cooped   up."     If 


no 


DEIAILS  OF  SMALL  HOL  SE  DESIGN 


the  balcony  is  hirfjc  fnouf^h  to  walk  upon  this 
impression  is  largely  incnascd.  Small  iron 
balconies  like  this  are  beautitiilly  adaptable 
to  houses  built  in  the  Italian  style.  But  in 
the  best  examples  the  iron  work  is  severely 
simple;  just  plain  square  rod  about  halt  an 
inch  thick,  set  about  three  inches  apart. 
Such  balconies  should  be  adequately  sup- 
ported, but  the  brackets,  it  brackets  are  used, 
should  not  be  gross  and  heavy.  Freejuently 
one  sees  in  American  stucco  houses  the  tloor 
c)t  the  balcony  made  of  a  huge  slab  ot  con- 
crete supported  b\  blocks  of  concrete  each 
large  enough  to  supjiort  the  world.  The  es- 
sential qualities  to  .search  for  and  to  ex- 
press in  designing  a  balcony  are  delicacy  and 


Now  we  have  done  with  chimneys  and 
balconies  and  leaders.  We  come  to  the  im- 
[)ortant  matter — the  door — of  your  house. 
I  have  reserved  it  for  the  last  because  it  re- 
lates in  its  design  to  columns  and  to  |x>rchcs, 
two  subjects  taken  up  in  the  two  following 
chapters. 

The  most  formal  of  all  doorways  is  the 
classic  type.  The  opening  is  usually  half  as 
wide  as  it  is  high,  and  is  surrounded  by 
an  architrave  door  jamb,  usually  molded. 
This  is  surmounted  by  a  frieze  and  cornice 
and  .sometimes  by  a  pediment,  as  is  shown  on 
this  page  and  on  page  36. 

Inasmuch  as  these  doors  are  derived  from 
the  monumental   doors  of  the  classic  tradi- 


The  leaders  of  }our  house  should  receive 
ample  consideration.  We  have  the  habit  in 
this  country  of  conducting  our  roof  rain 
water  to  cisterns.  In  England  they  let  the 
leader  run  into  a  rain-water  barrel, — which 
is  an  inlinite  improvement,  because  a  rain- 
water barrel  properlj-  treated  is  a  very  in- 
teresting object.  We  used  to  use  rain-water 
barrels,  too,  but  tiny  have  somehow  fallen 
into  disuse;  and  even  at  their  best  they  weri 
rarely  developed  as  the  English  have  devel- 
oped them.  The  sketch  on  page  29  show- 
such  a  rain  barrel.  It  adds  a  sjiot  ot  inter- 
est to  the  design,  and  is  a  far  more  etfectivi 
thing  than  a  simple  leader  which  disappear- 
in  the  ground.  Of  course  we  can't  use  rain- 
water barrels  for  every  leader,  but  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  the  barrel  is  a  charmin^ 
motif  to  .make  use  of.  The  best  leatl<r 
are  those  made  of  copper.  If  it  is  po.ssibli 
to  do  so,  it  is  very  d«vsirable  to  use  leader 
boxes.  They,  too,  give  interesting  spots  ot 
color.  A  very  interesting  example  is  that 
shown  on  the  \'anil(rbilt  Lcnlge  on  page  4^). 


.'\n  old  clauic  doornav  ai  .^nnapoli>,  Mar>lan<l-     ^>'<*' 
ii>  timple  dignity. 


I  I  I 


THK  HONKS  I    IlOl  SE 


This   old   doorway   wliicli   belongs   to   a    house   in   Pittsfield,    Massachusetts,    is   a    fine   example   of   the   modest    Co- 
lonial  doorway.     The  eight   panel  door   and   the  side   lights  are  characteristic. 

tion  it  is  absolutely  essential   that  the  man  be  a  true  one,  or  as  closely  approximate  to  it 

who  attempts  to  design  such  a  door  should  as  possible. 

have    an    understanding   of    that    tradition.  The  exterior  door  should  be   painted   to 

The  Salem  t)pe  of  doorway  which  we  have  match  the  walls  or  the  shutters,  or  .should  be 

shown  on  page  1 1 3  has  a  somewhat  freer  ex-  stained    anil    waxed    to    a   cjuict,    flat    tone, 

pression.     Here  it  is  possible  to  get  an  ex-  Avoid  doors  of  golden  oak  or  mahogan)-,  and 

pression  of  width  without  having  to  increase  shun  big  panes  of  plate  glass.     A  door  should 

greatly  the  height,  because  we  are  using  a  not  be  so  spick  and  span  as  to  suggest  the  in- 

plate 


triplicate  motif  instead  of  a  single  motif.  It 
is  best,  however,  that  the  side  lights  be  nar- 
row, and  that  the  door  itself  maintain  the 
general  proportion  of  its  width  being  one 
half  its  height.  One  of  the  common  mis- 
takes made  in  this  kind  of  doorway  lies  in  the 
inaccuracy  of  the  ellipse.     The  ellipse  should 


terior  ot   the  house,   and  varnish   and 
glass  are  sure  to  give  this  suggestion. 

If  you  are  absolutely  sure  of  yourself  (and 
this  surety  comes  from  a  keen  appreciation  of 
the  daring  things  done  by  artists  and  archi- 
tects who  kno-os)  you  can  take  liberties  with 
}-our  doorway.     On  a  certain  grimy,  dusty 


112 


DETAILS  OF  SMALL  Hf)l  SK  DKSIGN 


Photograph    hy 
Frank   Cousins. 

The  Andrew  Safford  house  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  can  lioasi  one  of  the  most  perfect  doorways  of  the  later 
Colonial  period.  In  these  Salem  houses  the  walls  and  windows  are  kept  severely  plain  and  the  doorway  is  treated 
elaborately. 

Street  in  London  there   lives  an  artist  who  Can't  you  renimibtT  xtnir  trirnds'  hoaxes 

chose  to  make  his  house  peculiarly  his  own.  by  the  impression  \ou  received  ot  tlie  dixir- 

He  had  his  doorway  hicquered  Chinese  red,  waysV     We  recall  so  many  deli<:httu!  dtior- 

and  ^avp  it  a  hii^'e  kntnker.     Certainly  the  ways:    pleasant,    homely    ones   ot    ordinary 

nei^'hborhood  should  ble>s  him.      But  a  New  j^reen    boards    with    oKl    hinps    ami    latch 

York  man  who  made  over  an  old  stable  tried  strinj?;;  serene  and  fjracious  white  painted 

very  nuuh  tin-  same  thin<:  with  sad  results,  ones,    with   .shinin;^   brass   kmx-kers;   quaint 

He  paneleil  his  ;:reat  door,  and  |>ainted  it  a  Dutch  dtM)rs,  cut  in  half,  the  lower  halt  Ix-- 

gay,  deliberate  green.      Before  the  next  night  ing  clivsed  to  keep  dogs  out  and  children  in, 

it  was  covereil  with  chalk  and  pencil  draw-  the  u|)per  half  opening  iiinm  a  i>leasant  in- 

ings  b\   flu   iinappreciative  youngsters  of  th<'  terior;  dark  iloors  stuiideii  with  nails,  sug- 
neighborluHKl. 


gesting  a  great  liall   ami  ctmiplcte  privacy 


11-5 


THK  HONKS r  HOISE 


within.     All  tht-sc  are  pocKl  doorways:  they  forfzet    them.     You    know    them    all,    any- 

beikon  you  to  ronie  anti  tr\   them.      But  the  wa\. 

dreadful  doorwavs,  always  hung  on  the  in-  It  is  easy  to  have  a  pood  door  in  your  house 

side  with  much  lace  and  colored  silk,  or  filled  by  emulating  the  simple  and  effective  doors 

with     near-stained     j^lassl     We     prefer     to  of  the  old  houses  we  have  mentioned. 


•MiirHirtMiiiiM 


iiiiiiii    '•^-j^jagi 

i 


Designed   by   H.  T.  Lindeberg.  Albro  &  Lindeberg,   Architects. 

The  difficulty   in  designing  a  hooded  doorway  lies  in  the  danger  of  making  the  moldings  too  heavy,  and  the  hood 
too  big.     This  detail  from  the  house  for  Mr.  R.  S.  Carter,  Hewlett,  Long  Island,  is  a  well  studied  example. 


114 


CHAPTKR  Xfll 


THE  tOl.lMN   AM)  US  COKMCE 


WE  employ  coliinms  so  cxtrn- 
sivcly  in  Anifrican  architecture 
rli.ir  it  iicMT  enters  the  head  of 
the  ordinar\  man  that  tlure  ma\  lie  essential 
differences  ot  proportion  antl  tlesi^'n.  "A 
column  is  a  column — just  as  a  house  is  a 
house!"  That  is  his  point  of  view.  It  is 
because  of  the  commonness  of  this  point  of 
view  that  there  is  so  much  bad  architecture. 

Indeed,  in  some  parts  of  the  coimtry  a  man 
who  has  lived  his  workinj^  jears  in  a  plain 
box-like  house,  usually  builiis  a  new  lar;^!- 
house  with  a  lor  of  columns,  wIkii  I-'ortum- 
favors  him.  'I'lie  towrrin;^  columns  ser\e  as 
eviilence  ot  his  prosperit)".  He  has  hu}:;e 
I^orticos  with  tiers  of  columns  built  all  arouml 
hi>  houNC,  all   kind^  and  shapes  of  colunms. 

Let  us  leave  him  with  his  pipantic  house 
and  its  multitude  of  columns,  and  turn  our 
attention  to  the  reasons  which  justit)'  the  use 
of    columns.     Let    us    try     to    umN-rstanil 


their  real  meanin;,'.  The  column  is  almost 
alwa\s  used  in  the  desi;.m  of  porches  and 
:us  it  is  almost  invariably  as-sociated  with 
.some  kind  of  cornice,  it  will  be  profitable  to 
consider  them  tofjether. 

The  element  which  <;ivcs  greatest  difliculty 
to  the  untrained  designer  in  the  detail  of  a 
house  is  the  column  and  its  cornice.  Thi- 
column  is  used  everjwhere — for  porch«'S.  en- 
trances, porticos,  and  pergolas,  and  for  this 
reason  it  deserves  the  most  serious  considera- 
tion. Often  an  uj^ly  hou.se  can  Ix"  made  at- 
tractive simply  by  correcting  the  hideous  de- 
tail ot  its  columns  and  cornices. 

.\  column  is  a  very  be-autiful  thin;;,  iiseil 
ri;;htly.  Hut  do  you  know  a  ^kkI  colunui 
when  you  .see  on*-*? 

Perhaps  your  own  hou.se  has  "classic" 
columns  surmounted  by  some  kind  of  cornice. 
Do  \()u  know  that  such  columns,  from  an 
architectural  ]x>int  ot  view,  are  simjily  [xist.s 


11? 


THE  HONKST  HOUSE 


dfsijirifd  to  hold  somftliin;^  up.  hut  that  lhf\ 
must  have  certain  dcliniti-  dinicnsions  ot 
hfi^^ht  to  dianutcr,  and  c-qiially  detinite  re- 
lations with  tlic  cornice  above  and  with  the 
adjacent  columns"?  Perhaps  you  have  never 
thoujiht  about  it. 

It  is  well  at  this  point  to  remark  that  tor 
small  domestic  architecture  the  use  of  classic 
colunms  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  0\ir 
early  Colonial  architecture  and  the  sim[)lc 
Enj;lish  cottaj^e  which  charms  us  all  rarely 
employed  columns.  It  w;ii  only  with  the 
intr(Kiuction  of  the  more  monumental  type 
of  Georj^ian  architecture,  such  as  was  built 
in  the  later  Colonial  days,  that  the  colunm 
was  used  extensively.  Its  use  even  then  was 
confined  principally  to  the  Southern  colonial 
work  of  the  large  antl  formal  type.  For  the 
small  domestic  architecture  of  to-day  tlie 
only  place  where  the  column  is  indispensable 
is  in  the  porch  ami  the  pergola. 

In  any  case  if  you  decide  to  use  columns, 
be  sure  }ou  employ  them  rightly.  If  your 
house  is  not  of  the  pretentious  sort,  the  sim- 
ple square  post  treated  as  one  sees  it  in  an 
unassuming  farmhouse  will  give  you  the 
most  satisfactory  and  pleasing  results  for 
your  porches. 

To  use  the  column  rightly  you  must  un- 
derstand something  about  it.  Let  us  look 
for  a  moment  into  its  history. 

Every  one  is  familiar  with  pictures  of  the 
Parthenon.  It  is  not  necessary  to  reproduce 
it  here.  From  the  days  of  our  liistory  and 
geograph}-  lessons  it  has  been  so  familiar  that 
we  have  ignored  its  relation  to  our  affairs. 
If  we  thought  of  it  at  all,  it  was  as  we 
thought  of  a  picture  of  the  Sphinx — as  some- 
thing with  which  we  had  no  concern! 

Forget  that  you  have  seen  the  picture  of 
the  Parthenon  before,  and  consider  it  with  a 


new  interest.  After  all,  it  is  only  a  com- 
[)Osition  of  columns,  but  they  are  so  beauti- 
fully proportionetl  that  they  make  a  deep 
and  lasting  impression  on  the  student  of 
architecture. 


The  building  at  the  left  looks  like  the 
framework  for  a  garage  or  a  boat  house, 
and  yet  it  is  not  different  irom  the  primi- 
tive type  of  wooden  building  from  which, 
somewhere  in  the  Orient,  at  some  time  in 
Mesopotamian  history,  the  Parthenon  and  all 
the  classic  orders  sprang.  Beside  it  is  shown 
a  sketch  of  the  Parthenon  columns.  The 
wood  jK)Sts  correspond  to  the  stone  columns. 
On  the  wood  posts  rest  strong  beams  which 
support  cross  beams,  the  ends  of  which  are 
visible.     These  in  turn  carry  the  roof  rafters. 

This  wooden  structure  represents  primi- 
tive construction.  Gradually  the  un|)erma- 
nent  wood  was  replaced  by  durable  stone, 
and  although  the  two  building  materials  are 
very  different  yet  it  is  easy  to  trace  in  the 
stone  temples  of  antiquity  survivals  of  the 
earlier  wood  construction  and  wood  detail 
from  which  they  came. 

At  first  the  column  was  only  a  post,  made 
doubtless  of  a  tree,  or  a  bundle  of  reeds,  just 
as  the  cornice  was  originally  nothing  but  the 
rough  projecting  edges  of  the  roof  covering. 
From  these  simple  beginnings  arose  what  we 
i6 


THE  COLl MN  AM)  I  IS  CORNICE 


now  call  the  Doric,  the  Ionic  and  the  Co- 
rinthian orders,  which  are  distinguished  from 
one  another  most  readily  by  their  character- 
istic capitals. 

Under  the  Greeks  and  Romans  these  or- 
ders were  developed  and  pertVcted.  ^^'hl■n, 
after  the  long  night  of  the  Dark  Ages,  the 
Italian  Renaissance  came,  certain  architects, 
inspired  by  the  renewed  interest  in  the  civil- 
ization of  Cxreece  and  Rome,  undertook  to 
classify  and  measure  the  various  proportions 
and  parts  of  the  ancient  temples,  in  their 
design.  Among  these  architects  was  \'ig- 
nola.  He  established  a  system  by  which  the 
dimensions  of  the  whole  order,  that  is,  the 
height  of  the  cornice,  the  projection  of  the 
cornice,  the  size  of  the  capital  and  base, 
and  so  forth, — are  given  in  terms  of  the 
size  of  the  diameter  of  the  column  near  its 
base. 

In  Chapter  V  we  considereil  the  matter  ot 
proportion,  and  we  touched  on  the  classic  or- 
ders as  examples  of  "fixed"  proportions  in 
architecture,  and  of  a  canon  of  proportions 
which  has  been  accepted  by  tlie  great  ma- 
jority of  trained  architects  in  all  countries. 
To-dav  in  the  schools  in  this  country  the  stu- 
dent of  architecture  is  first  set  to  work  to  mas- 
ter thorough!}-  the  elements  and  |iroportions 
of  the  orders,  and  the  system  of  \'ignola  is 
commonly  em|)loyed.  The  student  is  tauglit 
to  combine  columns  with  other  motives,  such 
as  arches,  doorways,  and  the  like,  and  this 
method  has  been  ado[ited  because  after  sev- 
eral thousand  years  of  study  and  criticism, 
the  most  highly  trained  architects  are  agreed 
that  these  orders  express  a  perfection  in  th<ir 
proportions  which  can  be  lu'trenil  only  by 
genius.     Geniuses  are  rare! 

If  we  |>ut  ourselves  in  the  position  of  the 
student,   we   shall    understand   some   of   the 


thing>  there  are  to  learn  concerning  the  or- 
ders. 

The  next  thing  to  notice  is  that  a  column 
is  not  simply  a  straight  shaft,  cylindrical  in 
form,  nor  is  it  like  a  tree  which  diminishes 
in  diameter  as  it  goes  up.  Tlie  column  has  a 
slight  curve.  This  curve  is  called  the  enta.sis 
of  the  column.  If  this  curvature  becomes 
great  enough  to  be  noticeable,  it  is  unjilca-s- 
ant;  it  is  simply  to  give  the  column  more 
grace  and  strength.  Many  stock  columns 
carrj-  the  entasis  to  excess,  as  is  shown  on 
this  page.     It  finds  its  extreme  in  the  cigar 


t^  ooji              Jap                 Afj>                  Ato            1 

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H 

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(mrim 

CftrtJ 

Ml  m 

urff 

ti. 

T^M^ 

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CMJIKi 

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ClUKt 

UltAK. 

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BCD 

At  the  extreme  left  !>•  shown  the  Puric  cnluinn  accord- 
ing to  the  proportions  eMahlished  hy  Ni^noU.  I'he  pro- 
portions of  the  Ionic  and  Corinthian  columns  have  >im- 
ilar  systems  of  proportion. 

shapeil  column,  which  i>  most  unpleasant. 
In  the  real  Roman  orders  the  curvature  is 
hanily  perceptible. 

On  the  other  haml,  pilasters  are  given  no 
entasis;  they  arc  usually  made  the  wiiith  of 
the  coluum  at  its  necking.  .\  Unv  example 
of  the  Doric  pilaster  is  .shown  on  page  i)i. 

.\  common  misuse  of  columns  lies  in  their 
application  to  [xirches  of  the  ty[M*  shown  on 
page  1  iH,  wher<-  the  column  rests  on  a  railing 
and  is  onlv  about  five  feet  high,  and  usually 


117 


THE  HON  ESI    HOI  SE 


If  >oii   use  the  classic  pedimenl,   let   it   have  the  right  slope.     If  vou  use  columns  let  their  proportions  be  riclit. 


thick  out  of  all  proportion.  No  misuse  of 
the  column  is  more  common  or  more  hideous. 
If  you  are  to  use  columns,  respect  their  dignity 
and  let  them  come  to  the  floor.  Use  the 
column  without  a  pedestal,  and  it  will  pain 
dignity  and  grace.  It  is  almost  a  safe  rule 
to  say  that  no  column  should  be  less  than 
eight  feet  high,  if  it  is  to  be  used  in  exterior 
work,  and  provided  it  makes  a  pretense  of 
keeping  the  proportion  of  the  classic  orders. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  having  a 
column  in  the  center  of  the  portico.  This 
has  an  unpleasant  effect.  A  column  should 
never  come  in  the  center  of  the  front  ot  a 
house.  One  should  feel  the  center  of  the 
colonnade  open  and  inviting.  It  may  come 
in  the  center  of  the  side  colonnade,  however, 
— as  witness  the  Parthenon. 

For  the  relation  of  the  arches  of  the 
columns,  for  the  spacing  of  columns,  and  for 
the  full  development  of  the  orders  it  is  neces- 
sary to  refer  you  to  treatises  which  deal  with 
these  problems.  It  is  an  extended  stud}' 
which  unfortunately  lies  without  the  province 
of  this  book.  We  are  simply  trying  to  give 
an  indication  of  some  of  the  common  mis- 
takes   which    are    made    bv    the    untrained 


builder  who  does  not  realize  the  fixed  pro- 
portions of  the  orders.  A  trained  architect 
can  advise  you  wisely  about  your  col- 
umns. 

In  Chapter  XI,  in  considering  the  termina- 
tion of  different  kinds  of  roofs,  the  gable  roof 
in  which  the  classic  cornice  is  employed  was 
mentioned.  In  using  this  cornice  the  great 
danger  lies  in  getting  the  cornice  too  big  for 
the  house.  The  sketch  at  the  top  of  this  page 
shows  two  houses  which  are  identical  save 
for  the  clesign  of  the  pediment.  On  the 
right  the  slope  of  the  pediment  is  like  that  of 


118 


.Another    example    of    e\"er\-Ja\'    American  ■■     iie. 

It  has  so  many  faults  that  it  is  hard  to  find  anything 
good  at  all  about  it.  Xote  particularly  the  stunted  col- 
umns  and   the   ungainly   stone   arches. 


THE  COLIMN  AM)  US  CORNICE 


Designed   by    11.   T.    I.imlcbcrt;.  Alhro  Sc  Lindeberg,   Archiieci*. 

Nutc  the  rcHiicmeiit  of  tbe  dciail   in  iliis  huu^c  at   iU-wlcti,  Long  Uland. 

the  classic  rxamplcs.  On  the  left  the  \h\\\-  lias  to  present.  The  anhitccture  ot  .--iniple 
ment  is  nuieh  too  steep.  We  trecjuently  see  walls  ami  the  architecture  ot  columns  present 
this  error  in  American  work.  It  is  an  error  very  different  degrees  ot  complication.  To 
which  arises  partly  from  ovir  if^norance  of  use  a  comparison:  it  is  not  hanl  tor  any  ot 
what  the  classic  proportions  are,  and  partly  us  to  understand  the  simple  melodies  ot  S<.hu- 
troni  the  fact  that  we  have  chanj^ed  theslojie  bcrt;  it  is  very  difficult  to  understam!  the  in- 
to meet  the  hard  conditions  of  our  climate,  tricate  architectonic  structure  ot  the  Bach 
The  Greeks  and  Romans  had  no  snow  to  fugues.  We  can  all  ho[)e  to  vmderstand  some- 
contend  with,  and  their  roofs  were  not  sub-  thing  of  the  little  steei>-roofed  Engli.Nh  c«n- 
jected  to  the  tests  of  harsh  weather.  But  in  tage,  with  its  simple  and  free  lines.  Those 
changing  the  slope  of  the  [lediment  to  the  of  us  not  architects  rarely  have  the  time  or 
re(juiremcnts  of  climatic  conditions  we  have  patience  to  umlerstand  the  immense  ditfi- 
com|)letely  sjioiled  it.  .So,  if  jou  are  going  culty  of  using  columns  rightly.  Thereti>re 
to  u.sc  the  classic  pediment,  give  it  its  right  it  is  well  in  small  htnisc  design  to  use  the 
slope,  and  frnil  some  way  of  making  the  roof  column  as  sparingly  as  |H»ssible  unless  you 
tight.  Orlxrwise  don't  use  it;  use  some  type  are  willing  to  take  the  time  to  unravel  its 
of  architecture  which  adapts  itself  more  mysteries.  Infortunately  this  is  not  widely 
easily  to  the  conilitions.  appreciateil  ami  evi-rywhere  aK>ut  us  we  si-e 
In  dealing  with  coluiiuis  we  have  touched  architecture-  of  which  the  house  given  on  the 
on  the  mo>t  difficult  subject  which  this  biH)k  iiottom  of  pag<-  i  iK  is  a  sad  ex.uuple. 

IK) 


THE  HONKST  HOl'SE 


When-  cohimns  are  used  in  connection 
with  the  cornice,  it  is  easier  to  determine  the 
size  of  the  cornice,  because  we  know  that  it 
should  have  a  certain  rehition  to  the  column. 
Where,  however,  the  columns  are  omitted, 
how  are  we  to  determine  how  h'v^  the  cornice 
should  be"?  Perhaps  one  of  the  best  ways 
would  be  to  study  the  facade  as  if  it  were  to 
have  columns,  and  then  remove  the  columns. 


It  is  very  difficult  to  give  definite  informa- 
tion concerning  the  proportion  ot  columns. 
It  depends  largely  on  the  type  of  building 
which  you  are  designing.  The  best  thing  to 
do  is  to  go  to  the  examples  which  are  shown 
in  the  books  written  on  the  subject  of  domes- 
tic architecture  by  competent  architects,  and 
studv    the    cornices    used    on    these    build- 


Ford,  Butler  i:  Oliver,  Arcliilects. 
This  house  for  Mr.  Mestrc  at  SheHield    Island,   Connecticut,   is   interesting   be- 
cause of  its  long  ridge  line  and  its  simple  roof. 


120 


CHAPTKK  XIV 


THK  I'l.KAM  KK  OF  I'ORCHES 


THIS  business  of  living  out-doors  has 
hroiif,'lu  about  a  (■lian;:e  in  our  ideas 
ot  house  building'.  We  have  actu- 
ally found  it  desirable  to  drop  Show  and  em- 
brace Comfort.  From  boxlikc  houses  witli 
no  porches  at  all,  or  porches  so  narrow  as  to 
be  useless,  we  have  juiupcd  to  an  embarrass- 
ment of  porches. 

We  were  once  content  with  a  long  front 
porch  where  we  sat  in  six  green  rocking- 
chairs  with  six  turkey-red  tidies  at  our  backs, 
and  gossiped  as  the  neighbors  jjasse'ii.  .\iul 
we  sat  in  our  b»'st  clothes,  and  busied  our- 
selves with  company  sewing — lace  or  em- 
broiiler}-  or  such.  \\'e  ilitl  n't  taki-  the  ilarn- 
iag  basket  to  the  front  porch.  We  liiil  n"r 
even  go  there  in  the  morning.  The  porch 
was  reserved  for  atr<rii(M)ns  ant!  good  clothes. 
We  sometimes  had  a  back  porch,  but  that 
was  n't  intended  to  be  enjoyed  :  it  was  a  place 
for  chums  and  milk-cans  antl  fuel  and  so 
forth.  The  cook  did  n't  think  of  sitting 
there. 

In  Nhort.  most  [MirclH-s  were  then  ugly  and 
meaningless    excrescence^,     huilr     tor    show. 


The  only  good  ones,  from  an  architectural 
stand[)oint,  were  the  neat  little  stoops  of 
New  England  cottages,  with  their  two  stitf 
settles  and  their  fonnal  air,  and  the  great 
verantias  ot  the  classic  Southern  h«)uses. 
Southern  porches  have  always  b<-en  pretty 
go<Kl.  because  they  have  always  been  used; 
and  now  jieople  ever)  where  are  insisting  on 
living  a  part  ot  every  d.iy  outdiKirs  and 
porches  everjwliere  are  becoming  n<»teworthy. 
When  we  plan  a  new  house,  we  feel  that  we 
nui-~t  have  an  entrance  porch,  very  stnall  anil 
very  formal ;  we  must  have  a  great  living 
porch  opening  from  the  living  room,  a  |iorch 
that  nuiy  be  screened  with  glass  in  winter 
or  wire  net  in  sunnner;  we  nuist  have  an 
ample  porch  for  the  servants,  and  we  must 
ha\e  one.  or  two.  or  three  sleeping  |H»rches 
up-stairs!  We  ileuumd  .so  many  |H»rches 
that  the  p(H)r  architect  tears  his  hair,  tor  tlic 
solution  of  the  problem  of  i>orches  is  proba- 
bly the  greatest  trial  the  American  architect 
has. 

The    architects   of    Kngland    ami    Tr.uue 
solve  the  problem  easil\  :  thr\   ^im|>I\   have 


1^1 


IHK  HONEST  HOISE 


no  jMirclu'S.     They  somttiiius  have  what  the  It  requires  great  ingenuity  and  restraint  to 

a\eragc  American   home   builder   would   re-  add  porelus  to  a  well  designed  house.     Look 

gard  as  an  apolog)-  tor  a  porch,  an  entrance  at  the  photographs  shown  in  this  book.     The 

liood  which  is  ver}'  small  and  narrow.  houses  that  please  }()ii  most  have  no  porches 

In    the    early    American    work    also,    the  at  all,  or  very  small  stoops.     There  are  nota- 

porch  was  largely  absent.     In  the  most  pre-  ble  exceptions,  such  as  Mr.  Langs  house  at 

tentious   Cieorgian   houses   of   the   Southern  Scarsdale    and    the    cottage    on    the    Tracy 

states  there  were  ta(;ades  consisting  of  colon-  Dow     estate.     There     are     many     enclosed 

nades,  and  the  effect  of  these  porches  was  porches,   "sun  rooms,"   but  the  old  porches 

usually  imposing,  but  the  floor  space  afforded  tacked  upon  a  house  without  rhyme  or  rea- 

was  usually  small  and  narrow  as  compared  son  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence.     Two 

with    the   moilern   porch   ami   jiia/za.     The  or  three  of  the  Colonial  cottages  have  porches, 

wide  spreading  piazza  is  something  distinc-  it  is  true,  but  on  the  newer  houses  they  are 

tively  .\merican.  distinctively  modern.    That  missing. 

it  is  a  wonderfully  comfortable  institution,  no  The  two  usual  types  of  porches  are  the 

one  will  den}'.     That  it  is  a  difficult  matter  screened   room   incorporated  as  an   integral 

to  design  is  admitted  by  those  who  have  tried  part  of  the  house  and  the  porch  that  is  built 

to  do  it.     The  architect  cleclares  that  our  de-  against   the  finished   house.     Of  course   the 

termination   to  have  man\-  porches  will   be  porch  that  forms  a  part  of  the  house  itself 

disastrous.     \\'hat  will  become  of  the  style  is  much  easier  to  treat  successfully.     It  takes 

of  the  house'?  he  pleads.  away  a  minimum  of  light  from  the  living 

I  don't  know  what  will  become  of  the  style  room,  it  can  be  glazed  in  winter  and  screened 

of  the  house,  but  I  do  believe  that  if  we  in  summer,  and  it  is  ample  enough  in  size  to 


really  enjoy  living  and  eating  and  sleeping 
outdoors,  our  domestic  architecture  will  have 
a  chance  at  a  style  of  its  own  at  last.  Sim- 
ple, honest  living  conditions  have  always 
produced  simple,  honest  architectural  styles. 
Something  very  desirable  will  come  from  o\ir 
recognizing  the  need  of  bringing  outdoors 
into  our  houses.  Witness  the  delightful 
style  ot  the  Mexican  and  Spanish  houses, 
with  their  o[)en  courts  and  patios,  which 
came  from  this  same  problem  of  brincjinii 
outdoors  in.  We  may  make  many  mistakes 
in  arriving  at  this  new  style,  but  if  we  have 
the  courage  of  our  common  sense  and  employ 
trained  architects,  we  shall  finally  add  some- 
thing to  the  sum  of  traditional  architecture 
and  decoration.  We  will  find  in  ourselves 
that  rarest  quality — originality. 


make  it  comfortable. 

Another  porch  that  seems  to  be  a  part  of 
the  house  proper  is  that   which   is  obtained 


122 


This  represents  the  idea  ot  a  seaside  cottage  as  the 
architect  of  i88o  conceived  it.  Note  the  ugly  posts  and 
the  fantastic  railing. 


THE  PLEASLKK  OI-    I'OKCHES 


l'liuiii^;i.i)ili    h.    c  .lui.iiii.  |)i«it,,.i,.   ...    ..      1.   l.imlcbirn.  Albro  &   LlndcberK,   Archiircn. 

Do  not    let   llie  beauty  of  the  setting  of   this  small   house    on    the    estate    of    Mr.     Tracy    Dow    at    Rhincbeck,    New 

York,   blind  you   to  the  excellence  of  the   house   itself.     The  house    is    so    designed    as    to    take    full    advantage    of    the 

slope  of  the   land.     The  roadway  passes  on  the  upper  side  of  the  house. 


by  letting;  the  root  project  over  the  ponh,  as 
is  shown  in  the  cottage  on  page  loS.  This 
is  one  of  the  earliest  types  of  porches  and 
still  one  of  the  most  attractive.  There 
is  also  the  niodern  example  ot  whicii 
Mr.  Dows  cottage  is  an  excellent  illustra- 
tion. 

A  tyjie  of  [lorch  which  has  come  lately 
into  favor  is  that  shown  on  pages  ^  •'"'' 
127.  Here  the  porch  is  made  into  a  .se|Ki- 
rate  construction,  almost  like  a  little  house  in 
itself,  anil  it  is  an  cxitllent  solution  of  a  ililii- 
cult  problem. 

The  different  types  of  porch  have  certain 


things  in  common  and  it  i-  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  these  things  that  most  mistake>  are 
made.  They  all  have  some  kind  ot  riH)t 
sup|)ort,  usualh'  consisting  of  a  series  ot  [x)>t.s 
or  columns.  If  columns  are  used  it  is  neces- 
sary to  see  that  they  follow  the  rules  for  flu- 
use  of  columns,  \\  Inch  were  touched  on  in  the 
foregoing  chajner.  If  the  supp(»rts  are 
wtHnlen  posts,  a  wide  variation  of  interpreta- 
tion is  possible.  I'sually,  however,  tor 
sniall  domestic  work,  a  simple  |>o>t  five 
indies  stiuare  spaced  alxMit  six  fe«t  from  the 
nt  xt  po>t  is  an  excellent  >olution.  It  is  sim- 
ple, unpretentious  and  adequate. 


'■i} 


II IK  HONEST  HOrsK 


It  is  |x)ssiblc  to  use  stone,  stucco,  and  brick 
piers,  but  stone  piers  used  in  connection  with 
;i  frame  house  of  which  the  exterior  is  clap- 
boarded  or  shinj^le,  are  usually  disagreeable 
because  they  suj^gest  unnecessary  brutality  in 
the  use  of  materials.  The  main  trouble  with 
masonry  piers  is  their  size,  and  unless  they 
are  of  the  same  material  as  the  house  they 
will  look  awkward  and  bulky. 

Often  it  is  possible  to  use  an  arcade  treat- 
ment. In  the  old  Italian  work  most  porticos 
are  so  desij^ned,  and  nothing  is  more  attrac- 
tive. They  have  this  fault:  the  arch  cuts 
off  a  certain  amount  of  light  from  the  rooms 
behind  the  arcade,  but  the  rooms  can  be 
lighted  sufficiently  by  proper  treatment. 

If  possible  let  your  porch  floor  be  of  brick 
or  tile,  rather  than  wood.     Cement  mav  be 


marked  off  in  squares  and  a  tiled  effect  is  se- 
cured at  small  expense. 

.■\11  porches  have  some  kinti  of  cornice. 
We  have  touched  on  the  subject  of  cornices, 
and  what  applies  to  the  house  cornice  applies 
here  also,  except  that  the  porch  detail  should 
be  finer  in  scale  than  that  of  the  house 
cornice  which  is  much  higher  up  and  nat- 
urally more  important. 

If  you  use  lattice,  use  a  simple  design  such 
as  is  shown  in  Mr.  Embury's  house,  or  Mr. 
Lang's  house.  Do  not  go  into  florid  and 
meaningless  forms. 

So  nuich  for  the  ordinary  porch.  Now 
for  the  sleeping  porch,  which  like  the  porfe 
cochere,  is  one  of  the  nightmares  of  the  archi- 
tect. Why?  Because  in  a  small  house  the 
sleeping  porch  means  that  we  are  going  to  get 


Howarii   tJreenley,   Architect. 
The  small  arcaded   porch  of  the  gardener's  cottage  on   Mr.  C.  A.  Coffin's  estate  at  Locust  Valley,  Long  Island,  is 
full  of  charm.     The   roof  which   is  cut  oflf  on  the  gable  end  might  better  have  terminated   in  the  usual  way. 

124 


THE  PLEASURE  OF  PORCHES 


Aymar  Embury,  Architect. 
The  u&e  of  the  gable  uri   Mr.  Embtiry'»  cuttage  is  questionable,  but  the  bouve  a>  a  whole  is  agreeable. 


a  great,  black,  gapinp  hole  in  ovir  wall,  or  in 
our  roof.  Xevertht  less,  it  is  possible  to  treat 
a  sleeping  porch  attractively.     The  best  ar- 


ItoUi 


■Livina 
Loom 

■lifZS 


•       f  I  a  z   z.  A        f 


First  floor  plan  uf  Mr.  Embury'*  cottage. 


rangenient,  |)erhap.s,  is  the  treatment  of  it  as 
a  loggia,  as  is  shown  on  page  i  2'^>. 

If  there  are  enough  trees  alwut  the  liou.se 
it  is  much  easier  to  manage  a  sleeping  porch, 
for  if  it  can  not  be  >~fcn  trom  the  street  or 
the  garden  proper  it  is  not  a  .source  of  worry 
to  the  architect.  I  once  visited  a  house  in 
New  Jersey  which  hail  an  upstairs  jxirch  that 
is  most  sticcessful.  It  is  broad  and  h>ng, 
anii  is  rmifed  at  each  end.  The  center  ot 
it  is  op<'n  to  the  stars,  like  a  court.  The 
great  trees  swish  over  it,  and  ot  course  it  it 
rains  the  slce|HT  can  retreat  to  the  sheltered 
enils.     This  |>orch  is  an  exception,  however* 


IHK  HONKSr  HOrSE 


and  was  made  possible  b)  the  tait  that  the 
house  is  built  aj:;ainst  a  steep  hillside,  and  by 
the  great  trees  that  screen  it. 

The  large  veranda  which  is  to  be  used  as 
an  outdoor  living  room  should  be  at  the  side 
or  back  ot  the  house,  if  [possible.     In  front 


Eugene  j.  Lang,  Architect. 

One  of  tlic  liest  ways  to  treat  the  difficult  problem  of  the 

>lccpinK   porch    Is  that   shown    in   this   house   at   Scarsdale, 

New   Vork.     The  use  of  the   Palladian  motive   is  a  happy 

one. 

we  do  not  need  more  than  a  little  square 
porch  with  two  trim  settles  for  a  hit  of  talk 
with  the  parting  guest.  The  real  business  of 
living  outdoors  is  reserved  tor  a  more  private 
place.  Have  n't  you  had  the  doubtful 
pleasure  of  calling  on  }our  friends  only  to 
find  the  whole  family  lounging  in  the  ham- 
mocks on  the  front  porch,  scattering  hur- 
riedly, when  you  come  up  the  front  walk"^ 
This  is  not  the  most  hospitable  reception  in 
the  world,  but  what  else  can  you  do  when 
there  is  only  one  veranda,  and  that  a  very 
public  place? 

The  porch  must  not  only  be  inviting,  it 
must  give  you  the  comfort  it  promises.  It 
must  be  as  cool,  as  clean,  and  as  gay  as  you 
can  make  it.  .\  screen  of  some  kind  is  im- 
perative, whether  it  be  a  lattice  covered  with 
vines,  awnings,  or  hanging  screens  of  bam- 
boo,  or   slat-like  strips   of   wood.     Screens 


not  only  offer  shadow:  they  temper  the  heat 
of  the  sun. 

Standing  screens  of  latriciwork  are  very 
successful  if  they  are  i)lanned  well  and  se- 
curely placed,  so  that  they  will  not  be  pulled 
awry  by  the  growth  of  the  vines  upon  them, 
or  by  the  strength  of  the  wintl.  Where  roses 
are  to  be  planted  around  a  porch,  these  lat- 
tice screens  are  the  best  solution  ot  the  prob- 
lem. Last  summer  I  saw  a  veranda  one  end 
of  which  was  .screened  with  a  white  painted 
lattice  filled  with  small  glass  panes.  This 
house  was  on  the  sea,  and  the  wind  was  so 
strong  at  this  particular  exposure  that  the 
glass  screen  was  necessary  as  a  real  shield. 
You  can  sit  on  this  veranda  and  have  the 
pleasure  of  looking  out  at  the  sea  through 
the  glass,  and  at  the  same  time  you  are  pro- 
tected from  the  southwest  wind.  This  is  an 
attractive  but  rather  expensive  screen. 

You   can    do   what   vou    like   with    color 


126 


First    and    second    floor    plan    of    Mr.    Barrett's    house    at 
Concord. 


IHK   IM.KASIKK  OK  I'OKCUKS 


Derby  Sc  Robinson,  Architect*. 
An  attractive  solution  of  the  porch  is  to  treat  it  a>  >ho»'n  above  in  this  house  for  Mr.  Barrett  at  Concord,  MauacbuKtts. 


schemes  inside  your  house,  but  when  you  :ire 
phinninp  the  color  scheme  of  your  porch  you 
must  consider  the  colors  Nature  has  j^iven 
you  to  build  on.  The  best  of  all  colors  for 
porch  furniture,  awninjjs,  and  so  forth  are 
white,  gray,  brown,  Ii;,'lit  ;.'reen,  ami  very 
dirk  j;reen.  The  lij,'ht  ;.'reen  should  be  the 
color  of  green  apples,  or  green  i)eas  or  lettuce 
— if  you  are  uncertain  of  the  tone  I  mean. 
The  dark  gnen  should  Ix-  the  soft  velvety 
tone  of  the  evergreen  tree — the  boxwiMid, 
olive,  gardenia,  japonica,  laurel,  or  any  such 
green.  "S'ellow  is  a  gcMui  porch  color,  prop- 
erly used.  Red  is  extremely  popular,  ami 
extremeh"  dangerous. 

For  some  strange  reason,  tour  porcho  i>ut 
of    rive    seem     fo    ha\f     turke\-rid    cotroii 


cushions  on  the  chairs,  and  red-and-white- 
stripcd  awnings,  the  only  excuse  being  that 
turke)  -reil  is  advertised  as  a  "fast"  color,  and 
it  is  believed,  by  people  who  do  not  think 
for  themselves  to  be  "cheerful."  Why 
shouUl  we  bring  this  wannest  of  all  colors 
into  the  place  that  is  sup|M).sed  to  l>e  cool«*st 
and  most  restful"?  These  are  the  |H«>ple 
who  plead  for  the  combination  of  red  and 
green,  arguing  that  "this  is  a  nice  contrast." 
Certainly  if  we  could  manage  tnir  reils  and 
greens  as  Nature  manages  them,  we  might 
be  panloneil  the  use  «)f  this  combination, 
lint  we  can't  ilo  if,  mi  we  had  b«-tter  leave 
it  to  Nature.  She  will  do  it  for  us  in  a 
riower-box  of  red  genaniums  and  white 
d.ii-ie-.      We   will    get    all    the   red    we   n«-cd 


THE  HONKST  HOUSE 


in  such  flowiT-^,  iiiui  in  rhe  plain  rarrlicnware 
pots,  and  |Hrha()s  in  the  dark  rcd-hrown  tilt-s 
of  our  floor.  We  must  remember  al\va)s 
that  preen  is  the  dominant  outdoor  color. 
Nature  provides  jileasant  preens,  and  we 
must  not  destroy  her  tine  harmon\  by  intro- 
dueinp  vivid  fabrics  colored  with  cheap 
dyes.  Our  awninps  should  be  preen  and 
white,  or  pray  and  white — some  cool  color; 
our  ciLshions  and  rups  and  thinps  of  preen,  or 
brown,  or  pra\- — the  natural  tones  of  wood, 
or  stone,  or  foliape. 

A  masonr}'  house  will  probably  have  its 
porches  floored  with  tile,  bricks  or  cement, 
but  most  of  the  wooden  houses  will  have 
jHirches  made  up  of  ordinary  boards.  When 
you  are  paintinp  such  a  floor,  tones  of  pray 
are  pood,  and  certain  shades  of  preen  are  also 
I)leasant.  It  any  rups  are  used  they  should 
be  rups  that  will  not  be  injured  by  rain  or 
dirt. 

The  furniture-makers  are  pivinp  us  really 
charminp  furniture  for  out-of-doors,  and  it 
is  hard  to  decide  just  what  we  will  have  on 
our  ideal  porch.  I  think  there  should  be  a 
Gloucester  hammock  of  preen  and  white 
drillinp,  fitted  with  preen  cushions  and  mat- 
tress; a  winp-chair  of  willow  with  a  bip 
pocket  tor  mapazines;  a  larpe  Canton  hour- 
glass chair  with  a  tabounr  of  the  same  type 
beside  it;  a  chair  built  on  the  lines  of  the 
familiar  steamer-chair  in  willow  or  rattan; 
a  lonp  bench  painted  dark  preen  (this  bench 
may  he  eipht  or  ten  feet  lonp,  and  it  will 
serve  as  a  table  as  well  as  a  seat  when  there 
is  company)  ;  a  chest  or  sritle  with  box  seat 
for  tennis-rackets  and  such ;  one  or  more  tables 


of  preen  painted  wood  or  willow;  several 
larpe  jars  of  preen  thinps,  and  a  bird-cape. 

Surely,  if  there  is  ever  an  excuse  for  hav- 
inp  a  hlrd  in  a  cape,  I  rliink  one  mipht  be 
excused  tor  havinp  one  of  those  enchantinp 
thrush  capes  of  oranpe-colored  reeds  on  one's 
livinp  [lorch.  You  needn't  have  a  thrush 
in  it;  have  an}-  bird  you  please.  The  cape 
itself  is  such  a  charminp  thinp  that  any  bird 
would  be  happy  in  it. 

A  wooden  settle  with  a  box  beneath  the 
seat  to  hold  outdoor  thinps,  or  a  lonp  chest 
of  painted  wood,  will  be  fouml  most  useful 
on  any  livinp  porch.  Such  a  settle  or  chest 
offers  a  preat  chance  to  jounp  people  who 
have  been  study inp  the  applied  arts,  for  here 
is  a  tine  opporninit}-  to  decorate  a  simi'le 
straiphtaway  object  with  some  bold  scheme 
of  desipn  and  color. 

Don't  allow  }our  porch  to  become  untidy. 
Have  as  much  freedom  and  gaiety  ami  in- 
formality as  you  please,  but  none  of  the 
shabby  disorder  that  is  so  distressing.  The 
cushions,  tor  instance,  should  be  covered 
with  water-proof  cloth  if  [possible,  and  then 
with  whatever  }ou  choose — denim,  linen  or 
chintz;  but  the  outer  covers  should  be  made 
to  button  on  so  they  ma}-  be  washed. 
Cushions  that  have  faded  or  "run"  in  un- 
siphtly  streaks  are  unpleasant.  Gaudy, 
sappinp  hammocks  of  many  colors  and  un- 
tidy trinpe  are  also  unpleasant,  but  the 
modern  Gloucester  hammock  is  a  comforta- 
ble restinp-iilace  by  day  and  a  bed  by  nipht. 
It  is  the  ideal  porch  hammock,  because  the 
lines  are  lopical,  and  you  are  screened  while 
}ou  are  resting. 


128 


F..^  -^ 


CHAl'lER  XV 


THE  I'LAN  AHKANGEMEXT 


W 


HM\  you  start  out  to  dcsi-^ 
your  house  the  probabilitits  arc- 
that  you  do  not  worr\  about  its 
looks  so  much  as  about  the  arrangement  ot 
its  rooms.  You  want  }our  house  to  have  an 
attractive  exterior,  but  that  is  the  architect's 
business,  and  )ou  are  sure  that  jou  can  do 
as  you  please  with  the  plan  arrangement.  So 
you  get  out  a  calling  card  and  draw  your 
flfxir  plan  on  it,  as  casually  as  you  'd  make  a 
memorandum,  and  all  the  king's  horses  and 
all  the  king's  men  can't  alter  some  whim.sy 
that  you  give  that  first  rou;,'!)  plan.  The 
[KWT  archit<-ct  is  expected  to  possess  a  leger- 
demain that  will  enable  him  to  develop  any 
sort  of  house  from  your  proposed  floor  plan. 
.\n  architect  tolil  me  recently  that  in  one 
of  his  recent  houses  he  gave  three  French 
windows  to  the  living-room,  two  on  the 
south  siile  and  one  on  the  east.  There  was 
no  view  on  the  north  siil<-,  and  no  windows 
were  needed  there.  Besides,  the  architect 
considered  that  the  wall  space  was  necessary 
for  furniture,  and  that  the  e.\t«rior  appear- 
ance of  the  house  recjuired  a  blank  wall  to 
make  the  design  effective. 


'But  we  are  building  the  house  for  com- 
fort, not  tor  looks,  and  we  want  a  cross  draft 
in  this  room.  After  all,  it  is  only  your 
opinion  that  the  windows  will  s|)oil  the  looks 
of  the  house  I"  said  the  client.  So  the  win- 
dows were  put  in  and  the  appearance  of  the 
house  was  spoiletl.  The  hou-e  has  been  ik- 
cu|)ied  several  months  now,  and  the  north 
w  indows  have  never  been  o[>ened.  The  oi- 
cupants  forgot  all  about  the  cross  draft  the 
monunt  the\'  hat!  bullied  tin-  unhirr.f  into 
s{)oiling  his  fatjade. 

It  is  difKcult  to  realize  that  whatever  you 
arrange  for  in  plan  is  going  to  atf<ct  the 
ap|>earance  of  the  e.xterior.  If  mmi  reflect, 
you  will  realize  that  there  is  no  valiil  rea.son 
why  your  |>lan  and  your  e.\t<Tior  ap|H*arancc 
should  not  lx»th  b«-  go<Kl.  But  to  get  them, 
you  must  not  Ix-  bigoted;  you  nuist  n»>t  make 
unr«a.sonable  demands  of  the  architect. 
You  must  e,\|Mvt  to  make  concessions. 

In  any  problem  dealing  with  any  subject, 
it  is  possible  to  im|H)se  conditions  which 
make  a  ginnl  solution  ini|H>ssible.  S>  when 
you  are  thinking  of  )our  nxim  arrangnucnt, 
you  must  also  be  thinking  of  what  this  par- 


IHK  HONKST  HOISE 


ticular  room  arrangniu-nt  is  going  to  toar 
you  to  accept  tor  the  exterior  of  your  house. 

Vou  must  think  of  your  house  as  having 
tliree  dimensions,  length,  breadth,  and  height. 

W'e  are  accustomed  to  tliink  of  our  houses 
in  two  dimensions  only,  mainly  because  our 
architects  offer  us  only  floor  plans  and  ele- 
vations, blue  prints  that  we  are  supposed  to 
visuali'/e  into  an  attractive  mass.  Only  the 
trained  eye  can  imagine  a  roof  line,  for  in- 
stance, from  a  cold  and  regular  blue  print. 
It  we  only  had  some  one  to  mak<  little  clay 
models  of  our  proposed  houses  how  delight- 
ful it  would  be! 

Last  winter,  a  young  English  architect 
came  over  with  the  extremely  sensible  idea 
of  making  models  of  houses  in  clay.  He 
was  an  artist  as  well  as  an  architect,  and  his 
chamung  little  models  of  Devonshire  cot- 
tages and  spreading  Tudor  manor  houses 
were  most  convincing.  His  theory  is  that 
client  and  architect  should  work  together 
while  the  model  is  being  made.  If  his  client 
insists  on  a  certain  group  of  windows,  he  can 
show  the  effect  of  those  windows  in  the  clay 
model,  and  the  client  is  convinced. 

Surely  nothing  can  be  more  interesting 
than  to  watch  the  dream  of  your  little  house 
gain  form,  to  see  the  roof  lines  fmd  them- 
selves, to  find  this  chimney  absolutely  beau- 
tiful and  that  window  a  surprising  defect. 
It  savors  of  magic  to  see  the  architect  thumb 
your  roof  into  more  poetic  lines,  and  soften 
the  window  frames  until  they  look  like 
weather  beaten  stones.  If  you  plan  to  build 
a  wing,  some  da)',  he  models  the  wing  now 
and  fits  it  to  the  house,  and  you  know  exactly 
what  your  house  will  look  like  when  all  your 
plans  are  realized.  These  little  models  are 
irresistible.  You  cannot  but  agree  with 
their  maker  that  eventually  every  one  who 


plans  a  gooti  house  will  have  a  model  made 
before  he  makes  fatal  mistakes.     Hasten  tlie 

da) : 

"^'our  architect  would  like  to  show  )ou  a 
model,  you  may  be  sure.  But  his  office  is 
not  organized  to  produce  models,  and  so  he 
must  do  the  best  he  can  with  the  meager 
information  you  give  him.  Given  the  sur- 
vey of  )our  site,  he  would  much  prefer  a 
long  letter  setting  forth  ideas  to  a  crude  plan 
of  \our  proposed  plan.  You  can  propose 
a  hundred  plans  later,  but  unless  you  have 
a  clear  idea  of  the  arrangement  of  your  rooms 
you  'd  better  let  him  do  his  own  groping  at 
first.  Send  him  all  the  information  you  can 
— the  amount  )ou  can  spend,  the  number  of 
rooms  you  must  have,  and  get  just  as  much 
of  your  personality  over  to  him  as  you  can. 

A  woman  went  to  an  architect  I  know  and 
said  that  she  wanted  a  house  with  a  staircase 
of  the  curved  balustrade  sort.  That  was  all 
she  could  offer  to  help  him.  The  architect 
was  set  adrift  on  an  ocean  of  possibilities, 
and  made  dozens  of  sketches  of  different 
house  designs  only  to  find  that  none  of  them 
were  satisfactory.  He  had  been  given  no 
real  guide  post  or  indication,  because  his 
client  was  either  unable  to  define  her  wants 
to  him,  or  too  lazy  to  find  out  what  they  were 
for  herself. 

.■\norher  client  gives  him  a  problem  pretty 
much  as  follows: 

"We  must  have  a  huge  living-room,  no 
matter  what  happens  to  the  rest  of  the 
house.  We  will  do  without  a  real  hall — a 
tiny  little  box  of  a  place  will  serve — and 
we  will  do  without  a  proper  dining-room, 
and  have  a  breakfast  room  instead.  The 
breakfast  room  will  be  sun  parlor  and  con- 
servatory as  well,  with  flowers  and  vines  and 
a  tiled  floor.     It  must  be  very  gay  and  sunny, 


130 


THE  PL.\N  ARRANGEMENT 


^v^th  comfortable  chairs  and  a  ^atc-lej;  tabic 
and  a  built-in  dresser  tor  our  blue  china  and 
pewter,  aiul  magic  sliding  partitions  that  will 
make  it  a  part  ot  the  living-room.  We  will 
have  most  of  our  meals  alone,  and  sometimes 
one  guest,  or  two — but  onl\-  a  dozen  times 
a  year  will  there  be  as  many  as  six  people 
or  more — then  we  can  "repair"  to  the  living- 
room  and  eat  on  the  great  black  oak  table. 

'■\\'e  will  do  away  with  the  conventional 
kitchen.  Please  plan  us  a  compact  labora- 
tory ot  a  place,  with  a  big  laundry  in  the 
basement  that  will  serve  also  tor  overflow 
kitchen  things.  We  will  never  require  more 
than  one  servant,  so  the  kitchen  ma)-  be  -very 
small.  People  who  build  kitchen  closets 
and  pantries  are  such  idiots — having  wide 
shelves  eighteen  inches  apart,  when  many 
narrow  shelves  close  together  and  a  tew 
deeper  ones  at  the  bottom  would  hold  all  the 
utensils  and  provisions  for  a  hotel.  Please 
plan  a  long  cu|)board  in  the  launtlry,  with  an 
ironing  board  that  will  swing  down,  and 
many  six-inch  .shelves  below  it  that  will  hold 
irons  and  wax  and  holders  and  such.  .\nd 
the  long  outside  panel  will  be  painted  with 
— with — I  don't  just  know  what,  yet. 
Something  gay,  with  yellow  and  orange  in 
it.  And  there  will  be  many  shelves  in  the 
laundr},  where  I  can  display  my  cherished 
tins  and  jars  and  things  full  of  provisions 
and  jellies  and  jams.  There  will  be  one  ver- 
milion chair  for  the  washlady,  ami  cjuite  a 
lot  of  color,  for  it  must  never  become  a 
dreary  place. 

"And  there  must  be  casement  windows 
ever}'wh(re,  and  thin  glass  curtain.s,  and 
tliiik  inside  curtains  of  shimmering  stuffs 
that  will  be  drawn  at  night,  ami  no  window 
.shades.  .And  many  clo.sets — a  ceiiar  lined 
one  for  linen,  and  .so  manv  in  the  kitchen. 


The  kitchen  must  be  fairly  walled  witii 
closets  and  drawers." 

Essentially  a  woman's  letter,  but  the  archi- 
tect gets  a  feeling  of  her  real  need.s,  her  i>er- 
sonality,  the  quality  of  her  family's  life,  and 
he  has  inspiration  to  go  ahead.  The  flowers 
and  \ines  and  pewter  and  ironing  wax  and 
jellies  are  not  in  his  specifications,  but  tluy 
linger  in  his  imagination  and  Ix-come  a  part 
ot  the  invisible  house  that  gives  him  inspira- 
tion. 

You  probably  have  just  such  personal 
ideas.  Note  just  what  you  wish  to  siK-nd, 
and  just  what  these  jiersonal  idit)syncrasi«-s 
are,  and  then  go  ahead.  Before  \ou  reach 
the  enil  }<)u  will  probably  have  reaxmed 
yourself  out  of  believing  that  certain  of  these 
idiosyncra.sies  were  very  im[)ortant,  after  all! 

Ot  course  we  not  onl\  have  our  idiosyn- 
crasies, but  we  usually  have  a  lot  of  them, 
t'ntortunately,  when  we  come  to  build  we 
have  to  forego  a  gixnl  many  of  them, — .»im- 
pl\  becaiLse  the  house  is  n't  big  enough  to 
hold  them  all. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  houses,  big  and 
little.  This  may  .seem  a  most  arbitrary 
cla.ssitication.  So  it  is!  Nevertheless  it 
holds  true  as  a  basis  for  di.scussi«m.  Obvi- 
ousl),  when  you  have  money  enough  to  build 
a  titty  riHim  house,  the  jKissibilities  of  ar- 
rangement in  plan  and  in  elevation  arc  far 
greater  in  th«ir  vari<t\  than  when  ytni  liavc 
money  enough  to  build  only  a  six  rtxMii  house. 
If  \\i-  except  cabins  and  camping  cottag«-s  it 
is  rare  that  we  build  a  hous<'  with  l«-ss  than 
tive  or  six  rooms.  The  hou.se  with  from  five 
to  ten  rtxnns  is  the  home  of  the  average  h»Hnc 
biiiliier.  It  costs  from  $vooo  to  $19,000, 
anil  we  call  it  a  "small  house." 

It  is  noticeable  that  a  great  man\  small 
luMises  are  .s(]uare,  or  approxinutelv  s,;ti:irr. 


>:$> 


THE  HONKSr  HOl'SE 


in  plan.  A  common  njie  is  planned  with  a 
crntral  cntranct-  hall,  and  the  second  Hoor 
hallway  is  thus  reduced  to  a  minimum. 
With  a  rectanpilar  house,  longer  in  one  di- 
mension than  in  the  other,  the  second  Hoor 
hallway  nui>t  usually  be  longer.  But 
what  is  saved  in  space  in  the  square  plan  is 
usually  lost  in  appearance.  The  square 
plan  house  is  less  flexible  and  less  suitable 
to  a  variety  of  room  arrangements.  More- 
over, the  longer  house  will  as  a  rule  give  a 
better  looking  house  for  the  reason  that  one 
gets  the  imjiression  of  a  dominant  sense  of 
direction.     Of   course    tliis    does   not   mean 


that  a  square  house  is  always  bad.  The 
house  shown  on  page  29  is  excellent,  but  of 
course  in  this  particular  case  the  impression 
of  length  is  gained  by  the  addition  of  the 
porch. 

.\  group  ot  small  single  houses  placed  at 
regular  intervals  along  the  street  has  some- 
thing discouraging] y  monotonous  about  it. 
In  many  suburban  communities  where  land  is 
expensive,  the  houses  have  about  twenty  feet 
or  so  between  them.  These  houses,  often 
built  on  speculation,  are  usually  of  about 
the  same  size,  and  the  impression  they  give 
altogether  is  of  an  overcrowded  communitv- 


JcAlZ  or  TjCAAJ 
0  rr      Srr      /orr 


W/^Ei^  AI-tL^ 


•Jta.  CC  T- 


Floor  plans  of  the  twin  house  shown  on  page  133. 


JrA£c:T 


THK  PLAN  AUKANGKMENT 


l.ilrniiiul    li-    (iitiliii^i,   Anhiirti. 
I  III"  liou^c,  tucalcJ  at  St.  Martins,  i'liilaJcljiliia,  is  a  Imi:  suluiiuii  ut  ilic  luiit  huusc  problem.     The  plant  arc  ttiowo 
on  page  132. 


The  space  between  the  houses  is  too  small  to 
count  as  a  real  breathing  space,  and  the 
houses  are  too  tar  apart  to  look  like  a  con- 
tinuous building.  Many  architects  are  turn- 
ing to  the  type  of  dwelling  called  the  twin 
house  as  a  solution  ot  this  problem,  two 
houses  being  gathered  into  one  building  com- 
plete in  itself.  Such  a  i)lan  is  shown  on 
page  1 32.  Sometimes  as  many  as  five 
houses  are  planned  in  this  way. 

I  nd<  r  this  system,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the 
space  which  wouKI  exist  between  sei)arate 
houses  goes  to  augment  the  space  between 
the  twin  building  and  its  next  neighbor,  and 
in  this  way  we  get  a  piece  of  land  and  an  air 
space  which  is  big  enough  not  to  look 
cramped.  That  is  the  first  benefit  gained 
from  this  type  of  house.  The  next  is 
iiartlly  less  imi)ortant.  B\  joining  two  small 
houses  into  one,  we  arc  able  to  get  a  greater 
variet}'  of  expression  for  the  elevations  ot 
the  house,  a  long  r(H)f  line.  This  is  tr<'- 
mendou>ly  important.  The  charm  ot  the 
low  lying  English  cottages  often  consi>ts  in 
the  long  unbroken  r<H)f  line. 

.\   house  may   have  either  an   ■■o|)en"   or 


"shut"  j)lan.  The  Colonial  house  witli  its 
central  entrance,  its  staircase  in  full  view  as 
one  enters,  and  the  living-rooms  all  ojMning 
from  the  hall  and  all  visible  to  the  visitt>r, 
is  an  example  of  an  o|)<n  plan.  In  a  houst 
l^lanned  like  this,  there  is  little  or  no  sense  of 
privacy. 

The  "shut"  plan  is  one  such  as  is  shown 
on  this  page.  \\'h«n  the  visitt)r  enterN  he 
sees  little  except  the  room  in  which  he  finds 
hiniMlf.  He  dm-s  not  i)enetrate  at  once  into 
the  privacy  of  the  house.  He  is  received,  so 
to  speak,  in  a  waiting  roont. 

These  two  ty[)es  corrtspond  to  the  t\(MS 
of  humanity  which  we  meet  every  tiay. 
.Some  people  like  the  sense  of  privacx.  and 
otlurs  lion't  care.  .\s  tor  nie,  I  am  sure  I 
should  ahva\<  ileclare  for  the  shut  plan  when 


rzit.K'tce— 


i-j 


1 


<<iitiia  u   «>l^-i  1       li  I     fc     Jl 


Noir  llw  >r<;lu>ion  u(  ilir  living  •|uarttr». 


n^ 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


it  is  possible  to  {^ct  it.  This  type  of  plan 
has  an  importance  in  its  nlation  to  the  sur- 
rouniiinj^s  of  the  house,  as  has  been  touched 
on  in  the  chapter  on  the  entourage.  It  tn- 
ables  the  house  to  turn  its  back  to  the  street, 
and  to  reserve  its  better  rooms  for  its  garden. 

In  most  English  countr\-  houses  of  any  pre- 
tense, a  forecourt  is  alvvajs  arranged  for  the 
reception  of  visitors  and  strangers.  The 
house  and  its  ganlcn  are  screened  by  trees 
and  bushes  from  this  entrance  court,  so  that 
the  sense  of  privacy  is  not  destroyed.  If  )ou 
are  a  guest  or  a  |>rivileged  person,  you  are 
taken  out  into  the  garden. 

Most  American  houses  are  so  planned  that 
the  onh'  privacy  is  on  the  second  floor,  and 
when  an  unwelcome  visitor  comes,  ever}'  one 
is  forced  to  flee  to  the  security  of  his  bedroom 
to  escape  detection. 

With  these  general  observations  over,  I 
am  going  to  note  some  of  the  essential  things 
which  should  be  striven  tor  with  a  view  of 


convenience  m  }-our  room  arrangement. 
In  order  to  have  your  house  beautiful  as  well 
as  convenient,  _\<)u  must  resign  yourselt  to 
make  concessions  on  both  sides,  and  it  is  nec- 
essar)'  to  look  at  what  constitutes  the  essen- 
tial jiractical  conveniences.  You  should  not 
be  forced  to  sacrifice  the  appearance  of  your 
house  to  obtain  these. 

Economy  of  space  is  most  important,  since 
it  has  a  direct  relation  to  the  cost  of  the 
house.  Often  houses  are  built  with  rooms 
that  are  never  used.  I  know  ot  a  house  in 
New  York  which  has  a  small  reception  room 
to  the  left  ot  the  hall  as  you  enter.  The 
onl}-  jierson  who  has  ever  been  known  to  go 
into  it  is  the  maid  who  dusts  it.  Everybody 
else  rushes  into  the  living-room  which  opens 
directly  upon  the  hall.  We  all  know  the 
country  house  parlor  which  is  entered  even 
less  frequently;  which  through  the  livelong 
year  preserves  its  chilly  respectability  and  is 
disturbed  onl\'  at  rare  intervals  on  the  occa- 


^JcAi-e  or  7'i/>A'j'~ 

oFr        TFr      /orr, 

3 


J"  7- je^  £.  ^  r  Ti  ?^T  Fi<  ?iAil-  J'ri^££T- 

These  plans,  of  which  the  elevations  are  shown  on  page  135,  will  repay  careful  study. 


THE  PLAN  ARH.\NGF:MKNT 


W. 


=Eiim:i 


'.a 


■vi^-^-«  -r. 


This  house  is  so  planned  that  it  "lurns  its  back  to  the 
the  garden.     The   garden  elevation   is  shown  below. 

sion  of  a  tunrral  or  a  weddiii;^.  'I'liat  parlor 
is  \va.ste  .space. 

Build  )oiir  house  to  live  in.  Count  on 
usin^  j/I  ot  it. 

"\'ou  tan  waste  space  bj'  the  had  phuinin;^ 
which  results  in  h>ng  second  stor}'  hallwa\s, 
in  kitchens  which  are  too  bijj,  and  which  re- 
quire man)-  steps  to  cross,  in  badly  shaped 
rooms  into  which  it  is  impossible  to  arran^'e 
ordinary  furniture  conveniently.  All  the>e 
mistakes  of  plan  cost  money,  and  they  can 
all  be  avoided. 

Nothinj;  is  more  uncomfortable  than  a 
lonj;  narrow   room.      In   a   bedroom   ot    this 


Kdniund  B.  (>ilchrl>l,  Arrhiiecl. 
Mrect,  "   thus  gi%'ing  its  tine  rooms  the  advantage  oi  facing 


sha|)e,  tine  has  alwa\s  the  teelinj;  oi  -n.  j.ui^ 
in  a  hallwa\.  In  general,  in  a  small  house 
ot  from  six  to  eij^ht  rooms,  the  living-room 
should  not  be  less  than  14  feet  wide  and  at 
least  22  feet  lonj^;  preferably  more.  The 
dining-room,  unless  it  is  tt)  l)c  used  only  as 
a  breakfast  room,  should  not  be  less  th;m 
I  i.\i2  feet  if  it  is  to  be  used  by  more  th.m 
tour  peo|>le. 

The  kitchen  is  variable;  it  .should  be 
planned  in  reference  to  the  size  and  needs  of 
the  house  and  particularly  in  relation  to  the 
(juestion  of  .servants.  If  the  hou.sc  is  to  rc- 
<Hiire  one  servant,  the  kitchen  can  be  made 


#% 


-__^~^?P-. 


y 


^  r'itji 


i 


J 


^"^  i^^vM  te'"' . ._ 


■~r-:* 


n 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


as  small  as  9x10  feet,  it  it  has  adaiuatc 
closets  and  ice  space  in  addition. 

For  the  bedroom,  the  closets  are  best  ar- 
ranged between  rooms,  so  tliat  the  rooms 
shall  be  of  giKul  shape,  always  rectan<;ular  if 
jH)ssible,  and  without  any  closets  or  strange 
angular  forms  projecting  themselves  into  the 
rooms. 

A  clear  height  of  8  feet  6  inches  is  usually 
adequate  for  small  house  rooms. 

If  you  contemplate  the  employment  of 
one  or  two  maidservants,  the  house  plan 
should  be  considered  as  having  two  distinct 
divisions: — the  living  and  service  quarters. 
In  the  latter  are  grouped  the  kitchen  with 
its  dependencies,  such  as  the  pantr}-,  laundry, 
service  juirch,  and  servants'  bedrooms.  It 
the  house  is  of  two  or  more  stories,  the  service 
quarters  should,  if  possible,  have  an  inde- 
pendent staircase. 

Of  an  cinincnrlv  j)racrical  nature  are  the 
matters  ot  heating  and  plumbing.  The  in- 
stallation of  these  two  systems  adds  greatly 
to  the  cost  of  the  house,  and  should  be 
reckoned  with  from  the  beginning. 

An  attempt  should  be  made  to  keep  the 
plumbing  fixtures  in  close  proximity.  You 
can  easily  see  that  if  your  house  is  planned 
so  that  your  kitchen  is  on  one  side  of  the 
house,  the  laundry  on  another,  and  the  bath- 
room on  a   third.   \(nir  water  su[)[ilv   pipes 


have  to  run  a  considerable  distance  to  con- 
nect to  various  tixtures.  If  they  are  near 
together  you  save  the  expense  ot  tiiis  piping. 

This  applies  also  to  the  heating  system. 
If  your  heater  is  placed  in  a  central  position 
under  the  house,  )ou  will  get  better  use  out 
of  it  and  }()u  will  not  have  to  pay  for  long 
runs  to  connect  distant  parts  ot  the  house. 
This,  of  course,  is  I'topian.  It  is  not  al- 
wa}s  possible  so  to  arrange  )our  plumbing 
and  heating,  but  it  is  worth  the  effort. 

It  is  well  to  note  here  that  when  you  begin 
to  plan  j'our  house,  you  must  kee[i  in  mind 
the  uses  to  which  your  house  is  to  be  put.  If 
it  is  to  be  a  tarm  house,  it  must  be  planned 
as  a  tarni  house.  It  it  is  a  suburban  house, 
it  nuist  be  so  planned. 

By  this  I  mean,  that  if  it  is  to  be  a  farm 
house,  it  is  well,  for  example,  to  have  the 
side  entrance  into  a  vestibule  lavatory,  so 
that  heavy  boots  and  coats  may  be  removed 
there.  Also,  if  you  have  a  growing  family, 
you  must  plan  your  house  so  that  it  maj-  be 
expanded;  so  that  it  can  be  added  to  with- 
out spoiling  its  beauty  or  its  convenience. 
For  this  reason,  it  is  well  to  keeji  Aour  house 
as  simjile  as  you  can  in  plan.  A  complicated 
house  plan  is  always  difficult  to  moditV. 

The  front  hall  must  be  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum in  a  small  house,  so  as  to  serve  onl}^  for 
stair  and  coat  room  accommodations.      The 


First  and  second  floor    plan   of   Mr.    Dayton's   house. 
1^6 


THK  l'I.A.\   AKliANCKMKNr 


Dc   Arriiiiiiil,  A<iliincatl  if   Kuklr>.   Arcliilctt*. 

An   excellent    mculern   example  of   ilie    Duich   gambrel  roofed  house  is   Mr.   l>ayton'»  house  ai  Wjnnewood,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

hall  HKU-  even  be  omitted,  and  the  front  door  cheer;  it  pivcs  a  raison  d'etre  for  the  hearth 

opened   into  the   livinf^-room   with   tlic  coat  niji,  the  symbol  of  a  home,  it  provides  a  place 

closet  and  the  stairs  on  one  siiie  ot  the  room,  to  han^'  the  stcxkin^s  on  Christmas  Eve,  and 

To  insure  protection  against  the  weather  on  finally  it  j^eneroiisiy  offers  a  place  into  which 

enterinji  the  house,  the  entrance  can  be  imiler  to  throw  all  kinds  of  waste  papers, 

a  covered   porch.     The   livin;,'-room   shoulil  The  ilininj;-ro<im  .should  have  an  easterly 

face  the  south.      It  should  be  li^^ht,  but  \<>u  ex|K)Sure,  as  the  only  family  meal  at  which 

must  beware  of  too  many  windows  and  thwirs.  it  is  possible  in   winter  to  have  the  sun  is 

A  comjilete  lay-out  showin;:  every  i)i<ce  ot  breakta>t  ami  this  is  also  the  rime  in  the  day 

furniture   accurately   drawn   to   scale   in   its  in  winter,  spring!  and  fall,  when  the  warmth 

proper   place   should    be   made    pr«vious    to  of  sunli;;ht  is  most  welcome.      In  the  dininj;- 

buiUiin^'.     \\'all    space   is  essential    tor   the  r<H)m  it  is  a  fine  luxury  to  have  a  bay  window 

placing;  of  furniture.  if  \ou  can.     The  rinim  should  <i|H-n  trtim  the 

I.i^ht   and   rcKim   are  mcessities.     .\   fire-  hall  or  livin{:-r(H>m,  and  shoulil  Iv-  directly 

place   can    hardly   be   calleil    a    lii\ur\.      If  accessible  to  the  kitchen.      It  ma\   Iv  made 

means  manv  things  to  flu-  room.      It  affonis  a  fhorou;:hfare  fri>m  the  kitchen  to  the  front 

pood  ventilation;  it  is  the  best  ornament  a  il(H)r.  alfhou;:h  this  is  not  an  ideal  arranp- 

room  can  have,  it  is  a  place  for  a  chxk  and  ment.     .\  fireplace  here  is  of  nnich  le>>  im- 

candlesticks;  it  pves  out  warmth  ami  ^kkI  |H)rtance  than  it  is  in  the  livinj:-riKMn. 

•37 


THK  HONEST  HOl'SE 


The  kitchen  should  be  a  hiboratory  piire 
and  sinn^le,  it  the  mistress  is  to  use  it  alone. 
If  it  is  to  be  used  b)-  a  domestic  it  may  be 
a  combined  laboratory  and  livinf^-room.  Di- 
rect access  from  the  kitchen  should  be  had 
to  the  cellar  without  the  necessity  of  j:;oin^ 
out  of  doors.  It  is  a  bad  thing  to  put  the 
cellar  stairs  so  that  one  has  to  reach  them 
by  going  into  the  pantry.  The  plan  at  thf 
top  of  this  page  shows  the  design  ot  a 
kitchen  arrangement  which  may  serve  as  a 
basis  for  the  discussion  of  what  a  kitchen 
ought  to  be. 

It  is  a  model  which  in  actual  experience 
would  be  moditied  in  a  huntireil  ways  to 
suit  the  contlitions  ot  the  particular  problem. 
It  shows : — 

(a)  Ice-box  with  door  to  permit  filling 
from  the  outside.  Mechanical  refrigerators 
are  better  than  the  ordinary  ice-box,  but  they 
are  not  yet  made  and  sold  at  reasonable 
prices  for  small  houses. 

(b)  Fireless  cooker.  This  should  be  com- 
bined with  the  range,  if  the  latter  is  a  gas 
range. 

(c)  Range.  It  is  preferable  to  use  a  gas 
or  electric  range,  insulated  for  tireless  cook- 
ing.    An  oil  range  is  an  alternative. 

fd)  Sink.  A  pantry  sink  set  into  the 
mixing  shelf  is  a  convenience. 

(e)  Cabinet.  Whether  "built  in,"  or 
merely  set  against  the  wall,  such  a  cabinet, 
supplemented  by  a  cupboard  under  bread 
shelf,  and  pot-hooks  and  shelves  over  range 
and  sink,  provides  place  for  utensils  and  sup- 
plies. 

(f)  Slide.  A  slide  from  the  dining-room 
opening  upon  bread  shelf  for  the  p;issage 
of  dishes  is  ver\-  convenient.  This  slide  is 
shown  dotted  on  the  plan  at  the  end  of  the 
shelf  near  the  dining-room  door. 


eUriO 
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c/HELFf^Po  T-tfoonX-  0£^ 


F/  JiEt^Eyy 

■CooKB/h 
■>E.lb 


■y/yvx,- 


■2o  a3o' 


■Iangf,- 


18  ^3o 


^ 


'KlTCHEIT'^LAN' 

(g)  Stool.  From  this  stool  everything  in 
the  laborator)'  can  be  reached. 

The  larger  and  more  usual  type  of  kitchen 
is  commonly  used  also  as  a  sitting-room 
for  the  "domestic."  It  should  be  laid  out 
in  principle  like  the  laboratory  kitchen.  A 
good  solution  of  the  larger  kitchen  is  to  use 
the  laboratory  kitchen  with  an  alcove  or  ad- 
ditional room  to  be  used  for  a  service  dining- 
and  sitting-room. 

The  cellar  should  extend  under  the  whole 
house  if  possible,  and  should  be  adequately 
lighted.  An  exterior  entrance  to  the  cellar 
should  be  arranged.  If  the  land  slopes,  the 
cellar  can  be  lighted  by  windows  on  the  side 
of  the  house  which  is  the  highest  out  of  the 
ground.  If  the  land  is  flat,  it  is  far  better 
to  use  areas,  so  that  adequate  light  will  be 
obtained  without  the  necessity  of  raising  the 
tirst  floor  level  high  above  the  ground. 
Many  houses  are  so  designed  and  the  result 
is  that  the  houses  have  a  very  stilted  appear- 


138 


THE  PLAN  AHKANCKMKXT 


ance.      Pape    118   shows   such    an   example. 

The  [liazza  or  covered  porch,  in  rej^ions 
where  the  southwest  is  the  prevailing  sum- 
mer wind,  should  be  on  the  northwest,  or  on 
the  east  of  the  house.  It  lends  itself  to  a 
greater  variety  of  uses  if  it  is  broad  and 
short, — that  is,  if  it  has  the  shape  and  size 
of  a  room, — than  if  it  is  long  ami  narrow. 
It  is  also  much  more  easily  decorated  and 
much  more  distinctly  a  part  of  a  private 
house.  If  it  is  built  so  that  it  can  be 
screened  in,  it  will  afford  still  greater  variety 
of  use. 

The  bedrooms  of  the  house  should  lie  like 
hospital  wards,  if  one  can  use  the  word  hos- 
pital without  running  the  danger  of  suggest- 
ing unpleasant  things.  They  shouKl  be 
clean,  gay,  simple  and  airy.  In  any  bed- 
room much  depends  upon  the  closet.  Size 
alone  is  only  a  part  of  the  need.  Closets 
shoulil  he  ilesigned  with  special  fitness  for 
the  clothes  to  be  accommodated  with  drawers, 
poles  and  presses.  Wherever  possible,  out- 
side ventilation  for  the  closets  should  be  se- 
cured but  this  does  not  mean  that  small,  ec- 
centrii'  \\  imlows  arc  permissible. 

The  sleeping  balcony  or  sleeping  porch  is 
a  valuable  adjunct,  but  I  believe  it  is  no  im- 
provement on  a  good  bedrcxjm,  if  it  is  built 
with  a  solid  rail  and  sash  to  fill  the  openings. 
These  effectualh-  hinder  the  free  movement 
of  air.  which  is  the  only  virtue  of  out-of-door 
sleeping.  .\n  open  bahisrraile,  with  scrcenx 
of  light  canvas  or  thick  above  it  jiermifs  ot 
free  pass.nge  of  air  and  allows  tin-  vun  and 
air  to  kee|)  the  Hoor  and  all  its  corners  sweet 


and  ilr\  at  all  times.  The  duck  screen  can 
be  swung  from  the  ceiling  during  a  shower, 
and  let  down  during  a  snow  storm. 

rii(  l)athroom  nowadajs  takes  care  of  it- 
selt.  It  is  as  much  standardized  as  a  tele- 
|)hone,  with  its  white  porcelain  ami  white' 
enamel.  If  possible,  the  tub  should  .-it  ' 
squarely  on  the  Hoor,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
difficult  cleaning.  There  should  Ik-  a  large 
mirror  and  a  large  medicine  cabinet,  not  one 
ot  those  silly  shallow  boxes  that  refuse  to 
hold  a  fat  bottle.  There  should  be  an  ample 
supjily  of  towel  rods,  and  if  a  towel  closet 
can  be  managed  it  will  be  a  great  con- 
venience. 

Discuss  and  amplify  all  these  things  with 
)our  architect,  and  you  will  probably  get  a 
ver)  g(Hxl  house.  The  temptation  to  quote  an 
architect  who  is  still  a  friend  of  all  his  clients 
is  great.  The  architect  is  Mr.  Harrie  T. 
Lindeberg,  ami  In-  disi)roves  the  ad.ige  that 
)ou  cant  build  a  projier  house  without  mak- 
ing an  enemy  of  your  client.  His  theory  of 
success! ul  house  planning  is  this: 

"It  \()u  wish  a  successful  hou.se,  give  your 
architect  a  free  hand,  not  into  your  |Hxket- 
book,  but  into  your  confidence  and  faith,  b«'- 
lieving  he  will  work  many  times  the  harder, 
knowing  that  you  trust  his  judgment  and 
stand  behind  his  ilecisions;  and  when  all  is 
sail!  anil  done,  and  your  hou.se  is  built,  and 
you  are  proud  ot  Ix-ing  its  owner,  give  now 
and  then  a  little  cr<dit  where  it  is  due,  ant! 
don't  be  g\iilfy  of  that  bromidic  SjKcch,  AVe 
de>ign<il  the  house  (uirselves;  the  architect 
ju>t  drew  it  out  ft)r  u>I"  "' 


no 


THK  HONKST  HOUSE 


Photograph  by  Coutant.  Parker  Morse  Hooper,  Architect. 

Dr.  Abbott's  house  at  Cornwall,  New  York,  is  an  example  of  small   house  architecture  at  its  best. 


140 


X  Am/U- 


CHAITKK  X\  I 


GOOn  T AsTK   A\n  CDMMOX   SENSE 


BKFORE  you  Iv^'in  considering  the 
interior  of  your  home,  you  must  con- 
sider your  own  point  of  view.  You 
must  take  stock  ot  yoursclt,  and  discover  just 
what  you  have  to  jnit  into  your  house  that 
will  make  it  a  home.      Thintjs  won't  do  it. 

A  home  is  not  so  much  a  place  as  it  is  a 
state  of  mind.  Lots  of  people  who  own 
houses  have  n't  really  homes,  and,  b\  the 
same  token,  lots  of  us  who  have  a  tin\  ai)arr- 
ment  or  even  a  mere  hall  bedroom  have 
homes  in  the  real  sense  ot  the  worii.  W'l- 
will  take  the  homes  and  home  t<eling  tor 
granted.  I  assume  that  what  we  all  want  is 
to  make  our  homes  a  little  tiner  and  cleaner 
ami  more  heautitul. 

By  finer  I  mean  nu)re  genuine. 

By  cleaner  I  mean  treer  trom  shams  and 
imitations. 

By  beautiful — well,  that  is  a  word  that 
hokis  its  own  meaning  for  each  of  us.  Thtre 
isn't  any  better  word,  if  you  apply  if  hon- 
estly. 

Women  who  have  a  lualfhy  interest  in 
their  surroundings,  who  reali/.«-  that  no  real 
grt)wth  is  possible  in  an  uiitri<nilly,  jarring 


atmosphere,  who  see  the  intimate  relation  of 
environment  and  family  life — these  are  the 
women  who  have  fundamentall\  good  taste. 
They  need  only  an  honest  silf-analysis  to 
become  real  home-makers. 

riif  woman  who  asks  for  help  and  admits 
that  she  iKr's  n't  know  ever}  thing,  can  tie- 
velop  her  sense  of  appreciation  mi  that  her 
life  will  be  full  of  a  genuine  joy  that  she  hxs 
never  before  realized.  .\nd  this  applies  al.sti 
to  men.  Men  are  interested  in  developing 
the  interiors  just  as  women  are  interested  in 
the  buililing  of  their  homes.  .Somehow  the 
greater  interest  in  the  practical  problem  b«- 
longs  to  the  man,  however,  anil  the  job  of 
making  the  house  decorative  and  comfortable 
is  the  woman's.  .\nd  m)  one  falls  naturally 
into  discussing  certain  subjects  with  nien, 
.md  others  with  women.  But  tvrry  subject 
iliscussed  in  this  l^nik  should  Ix-  of  e<iual  in- 
terest ti»  Ivuh. 

Cheap  ami  changing  fashioas  have  done 
inutli  to  deter  .American  women  from  real 
appreciation  of  the  principles  of  h«iine 
making.  l'ros[VTify  has  come  s<i  easily.  an«l 
there  is  such   a   fatal    f.icilitv   of   imitatiui; 


141 


THK  HONKS  1    HOl'SE 


•good  thin^,'s,  that  we  have  tvcr  chanj^'in^  tpi- 
dciiiics  ot  tashion.s  in  house  turnijhin;^  that 
are  disastrous  to  the  development  ot  taste. 

There  are  alwajs  new  developments  ami 
improvements  in  certain  house  turnishin^'>, 
as  in  everything  else,  but  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  the  "latest  wrinkle"  in  good  taste. 
It  your  grandmother  left  }()u  a  kitchen  chair 
that  was  made  a  hiunlred  jears  ago  from  a 
.g(KKl  model,  it  is  better  than  the  "latest" 
chair  of  gilt  legs  ami  tawdry  satin,  or  any 
chair  constructed  from  a  worthless  model  to 
meet  the  needs  of  women  ot  no  taste.  But 
if  she  left  you  a  chair  that  was  ugly  when  it 
was  new,  age  has  n't  made  it  beautitul. 

It  is  the  women  who  trj-  to  follow  the 
fashions  in  house  furnishings  who  have  the 
dreadful,  dishonest  houses  that  flourish  all 
■over  America.  It  is  these  women  who  have 
furniture  of  every  style,  of  ever}'  wood,  ot 
•ever)  period,  jumbled  together  in  rooms 
•equally  bad. 

The  intelligent  woman  when  she  buys  a 
■chair  demands  that  it  shall  be  comfortable 
to  sit  upon,  beautiful  to  look  at,  and  simple 
and  sturdy  of  construction.  Even  given  these 
things,  it  must  be  suitable  to  her  neetts  or  it  is 
not  the  chair  for  her.  It  must  be  in  harmony 
with  her  other  furnishings  and  in  scale  with 
her  husband's  means. 

There  are  French  chairs  of  damask  and 
^rarved  wood  that  are  comfortable,  beautitul 
and  ot  exquisite  workmanship,  but  the}'  arc 
not  suitable  to  the  needs  of  the  woman  who 
lives  in  a  small  house.  Suitability  is  the  first 
and  most  important  law  of  good  taste.  If  a 
thing  is  suitable  it  must  necessarily  be  com- 
fortable and  beautitul  and  of  sound  construc- 
tion. 

Oh,  the  dishonest  and  {>retentious  spirit  in 
which  so  many  women  furnish  rheir  homes  I 


.\nd  the  pity  of  it  is  that  they  are  proud  of 
their  shams,  their  imitations,  their  petty 
hypocrisies.  They  glor}-  in  being  a  little 
more  magnificently  gilded  than  their  neigh- 
bors. The  only  excuse  for  them  is  that  they 
are  bewiklered  by  a  sea  ot  things  ot  no  value. 
"Bewildered"  is  a  nicer  word  than  "stupid." 

How  nian\  houses  we  all  know  that  ha\e 
not  violent  paintings  and  grotesque  crayon 
"portraits"  on  the  walls'?  Is  your  house  in- 
nocent of  them"?  None  of  these  things  are 
beautiful.  You  know  that.  Every  one 
knows  it.  They  are  on  our  walls  because 
the}-  imitate  the  real  things,  because  they  are 
"done  b\-  hand!" 

There  are  thousands  of  beautiful  prints 
and  engravings  to  be  had  for  less  money,  antl 
}et  we  are  contented  with  imitations.  A 
print  is  not  an  imitation.  It  is  a  mechanical 
copy,  and  it  doesn't  pretend  to  be  anything 
else.  But  a  print  gives  us  the  jiicturc  the 
master  painted,  and  a  cheap  imitation  gives 
us  merely  an  absurdity  that  is  neither  copy 
nor  cartoon,  that  has  neither  beauty  nor  value. 

\\'e  live  in  an  age  of  just-as-good-as  things. 
We  hear  daily  ot  the  high  cost  of  living,  ot 
the  shallowness  of  religion,  of  superficial 
education,  of  untrained  daughters,  of  dis- 
sipated sons,  of  tired  husbands,  restless 
wives.  Much  of  this  discontent,  I  firmly 
believe,  comes  from  the  prosaic  matter  of 
badly  cho.sen  chairs  and  tables  and  wall- 
papers. A  red  wall-paper  with  fiendish 
scrolls  gives  a  man  mental  indigestion  just  as 
surely  as  fried  foods  give  him  the  other  kind. 

I  believe  that  the  houses  of  women  who 
are  "pizen  neat,"  who  have  uncomfortable 
chairs  placed  just  so,  who  have  no  logical 
center  for  the  family  gathering,  no  reading 
light,  no  books  and  magazines,  no  real  touch 
ot  home — these  houses  will  result  in  disap- 


142 


GOOD  TASTE  AND  COMMON  SENSE 


lihiuinJ  K    (iilchrist.  Architect. 
Could    anything  be    mure    miji^cmIvc   oi    cwiI  (iaii<|iiillii>  than  iliiii  tluriiiiiiK  picmrr  oi  ilic  lilitar>    in  Mr.  \V.  \V. 
Gilchrist's    house    ai    St.    Martins,    I'hiladelphia?     'I"he    (ireplace    with    its   front    of    artificial    »toiie,   framed    b\    au    adc- 
(|uaie    moldiiij;,    does    not    need    the   customary    mantel-shelf.     Note    (lie  entire   absence   of    unnecruary   ornament. 

pointing;   children.     Who   couUI   bhmif    thr  advice,  and  have  nuthinj^  in  our  houses  that 

)<)iinj;srer.s     for     prcttTriii;.;     otlitr     iK-ople's  we  did  not  know  ti>  Ik-  UMtuI,  and  Ixlieve  to 

hou>es"^  In-  btautitui,  how  clean  anil  j^enuine  our  ehil- 

Did  }oti  ever  know  a  real,  sliahhy   home  ilren  would  be! 

room,  with  i)lenr)  ot  hooks  and  couche.s  and  Lose  \our  teniiKT  in  a  stately,  well-onlered 

hi;;  chairs  ami  Howers  in  the  winilow,  swarm-  nwim,  and  \i)u  will  be  shamed  b\   tl>e  very 

inji  with  ha[)|)y  children^      Diil  n't  you  j;et  ili^:nity   o\   ytiur   surrttumlinp^.     Go   mto   a 

a  thrill  of  the  real  spirit  of  home  from  it"?  suashiny  family  rotMu  when  ymi  are  des|)ond- 

If  you  have  a  real  home  nxim,  the  children  of  ent.  ami  your  mtHxi  will  chan;;e;  it  can  not 

your  nei};hbors  will  j^et  happiness  from  it,  as  resist  sunsiiinc  ami  ;:tHHl  cheer, 

stirelv  as  your  own.  You  haven't  rime  tt)r  p<tty  jcahmsirs  if 

If  wc  could  all  follow  \\'illiam  Morris's  \ou   are   surrounded   by   simple    furni>hings 

"43 


IFIK  HONKST  HOUSE 

and  quiet  colors  iiml  wcll-u.^cd  books  and  r.\-  More   than  an)    other  one  thin^%   it   retards 

cellcnt  pictures.     The  t'rienilly  spirit  of  the  the  growth  of  good  taste, 

rcxmi  gives  you  new  poise,  and  petty  things  Last  winter  a  number  ot  us  who  were  in- 

are  forgotten.  terested  in  the  advancement  ot   the  decora- 

Antl — you  couKl  n't  tliink  great  thoughts  tive  arts  arranged  an  exhibition  of  bad  taste, 

in   a  dirty,   chittery   room,   for  if  the  great  We  were  inspired  by  coming  upon  a  hirge 

thoughts    w<Te    there,    you    would    be    busy  statue  of  the  \'enus  ot  Milo  with  a  clock  in 

making  decent  surroundings  for  yourself.  her  stomach.     The  \'enus  reminded  us  ot  all 

It  is  true  that  in  the  last  generation  we  the  atrocities  in  bad  taste  we  had  observed, 

have  gone  far  on  the  road  to  good  taste,  but  and  we  decided  an  arrangement  of  very  bad 

think  how  far  we  had  retrograddl  I     Think  olijects  would  be  much  more  impressive  than 

how  beautiful  were  the  simple  houses  of  our  all  the  good  things  that  ever  were, 

great-grandparents, — beautiful     because     of  Wc  did  not  purpose  to  laugh  at  our  grand- 

their  enforced  sim[)licity,  perhaps,  but  beau-  mothers,   or  ourselves:   we   planned   to   pre- 

tiful  just  the  same.     They  had  the  things  sent  a  retrospective  view  of  the  art  of  home 

they  required,  antl  nothing  more.  decoration     from     which     instruction     and 

Thirty  years  ago  women  were  so  far  from  amusement  might  be  gained  by  the  sensible 

this  simplicity  that  they  hung  gilded  shovels  visitor.     We    showed    the    things    that    had 

and  clothes-pins  in  their  parlors.     The  sit-  gone  before   rather   than   the   things   of   to- 

ting-room,  the  living-room,  and  the  drawing-  day  because  we  wished  to  amuse  our  friends. 

room  were  too  "old-fashioned"  for  this  gilded  There  is  nothing  amusing  in  our  modern  cut 

period.      "Parlor"  was  the  word.  glass,  our  gaudy  lamps,  our  disgusting  orna- 

The    accomplished    ladies    of    the    period  mentation  of  things  that  were  bad  to  begin 

filled  their  parlors  with  "tidies."     They  tied  with,  but  there  is  always  amusement  in  bad 

ribbons  on  chair  backs,  around  vases,  and  I  things  that  happened  a  long  while  ago.     A 

have  heard  of  a  lady  who  tied  ribbon  around  lamp  made  to-day  of  stag  antlers,  a  quart 

the     newel-post    of     her    staircase  I     They  of  glass  beads,  and  a  few  yards  of  puffings 

painted  snow  scenes  on  the  tin  tops  of  lard-  of   silk   saddens   us.     A   lamp   made   many 

cans,   and   sunflowers   on   empt}-   wine-jugs,  years  ago  of  a  milk  jar  covered  with  putty 

and  cattails  inside  honest  mixing  bowls.     It  and  encrusted  with  a  hundred  odds  and  ends 

is  hard  to  conceive  of  the  colossal  stupidity  — nails,   ear   rings,   sea  shells,   buttons — af- 

which  made  this  epidemic  possible,  and  yet  we  fords  us  unholy  mirth.      So  we  showed  the 

have  modern  epidemics  of  china-painting  and  things  of  many  years  ago,  depending  on  the 

burnt  wood  and  crude  stenciling  that  are  al-  imaginations    of   our    visitors    to   point    the 

most  as  bad.     I  suppose  we  always  shall  have  parallel. 

them  until  we  open  our  eyes  and  use  them.  The  exhibition  was  approved  by  over  a 

The  best  way  to  open  our  eyes  to  the  es-  thousand   visitors.     Its   lessons   went  home, 

sential  differences  of  good  antl  bad  taste  is  But    there    were    disgruntled    dozens    who 

to  hold  hard  to  our  sense  of  humor,  and  to  called    the    wrath   of   their   pet   newspapers 

let  sentiment  go.     The  excuse  of  sentiment  down  upon  us  because  we  "violated  sacred 

covers  much  that  is  banal  and  meaningless,  sentiment."     They  were  entirely  unable  to 

144 


GOOD  TASTK  AM)  COMMON   SKNSE 


li.iiric    I".    I.iiuicUcr^;,   Arihiirti. 
riiis   l)eilr(K)m   in   the   Uoardman   Robinson    house   a(    Forr-i   Hills,  Lon^  islaiul,  invc«  tniuli  of  ii«  cliariii  lo  the  suh- 
slanlial    old    furniture.     A    gay,    English   chintz  covers   the  four-post    bed.     The    French    windows    lead    to  the   sleepioR 
porch. 

disrinpii.Nh  bctwttn  filial  siiuiiiKiit  ami  ts-  that  will  ^^row  more  hcaiititul  tin-  lonpr  I 
thetic  appreciation,  and  tlu-y  touml  tht-ni-  livr  with  themV  What  thin^  have  1  that 
selve.s  in  the  riiliiulous  po,>^iti()n  ot  drtrm.!-  arc  worth  Icavinj^  to  my  chililrrnV" 
in;;  bad  ta.-^te.  .\n»l,  having;  worthy  thin^js,  what  M»rt  of 
Ciood  tastr  comes  slowly,  but  it  is  the  final  house  have  yon  to  place  them  inV  Are  its 
.standanl  by  which  our  hdiiies  must  be  juil;,'ed.  walls  pleasant  in  colorY  Are  they  real  back- 
When  you  studv  other  |)eople's  houses  and  ;,'rounds  for  the  life  that  must  In-  lixeii  in 
analyze  jour  own,  consider  alwa}s  your  own  \our  riMJinsV 
needs.  .\re  \tiur  ri<H>rs  maile  to  walk  on.  or  arc 

Ask    yourself:       ■What    .sort    of   home    is  tiny  piled  with  ru;:s  u|Hin  ru^^sV 

suitable  to  me,  to  m\   hiisbanil,  to  my  chil-  Are  your  wimlows   fulfilling'  their  objn-t 

drenV     What   furnishinp;  do  I  actually   re-  of  ;:ivin;;  li^ht  and  air.  or  are  the>   ilraiMil 

(piire  in  my  house— not  my  nei;.'hbor's  house,  ant!    redraped    with    dusty    curtains    ot    no 

but  my  own   house";'     What   tliin;:s  ha\e   I  utilitarian  or  artistic  valued 

"4? 


IHK  HONEST  HOl'SE 


Is  your  woodwork  jrraincd  to  imitate  some 
woikI,  or  is  it  real  w(K)d.  waxed  to  a  soft 
j^low"!?  Ami  it  it  isn't  real.  wli\  haveiit 
you  jiiven  it  a  coat  ot  honest  white  paint "^ 

Are  your  hrejilaces  real,  or  shams? 

Is  your  piano  a  piano,  or  is  it  a  catch-all 
for  frinj^ed  velvet  and  motley  bric-a-brac V 

Happy  the  woman  who  has  a  tew  piocl 
things  to  build  upon,  tor  a  ^ood  thinj:;  is 
always  j^ood — you  may  be  sure  ot  that.  It 
may  not  be  always  suitable.  For  instance,  a 
spinninji-whee!  rliar  was  both  beauritul  ami 
useful  a  hundred  years  ago  is  not  at  home 
in  a  city  apartment  nowadays,  but  it  is 
the  usefulness  that  has  jiassed.  The  beaut\ 
lives  always. 

The  training  of  the  e)e  is  a  long  process, 


but  most  amusing  I  Its  lessons  are  never  tedi- 
ous, though  they  are  sometimes  very  shocking, 
but  you  live  through  it  all  and  watch  your  ap- 
preciation grow  as  though  it  were  a  wonder- 
ful plant.  You  cannot  see  actual  growth, 
but  }ou  discover  by  looking  back  from  day 
to  tia\  And  trom  }ear  to  )ear  tliar  there  lias 
been  growth.  "\  ou  timi  }ourselt  in  a  room 
that  }esterda\'  seemed  unobjectionable,  and 
to-day  )ou  resent  its  ugliness.  You  look  at 
a  vase  that  )ou  once  thought  beautiful,  and 
reali/.i'  that  it  is  impossible.  When  you 
know  that  the  room  is  ugly  and  the  vase  is 
ini[wssible  ;isk  yourself  why  it  once  appealed 
to  )ou,  wh}^  it  now  offends  you,  and  if  )ou 
can  answer  you  have  traveled  tar  toward 
good  taste. 


An  old  hooded  doorway  at  Germantown,  Pennsylvania.     Note  the  delicacy  of  the  moldings. 

146 


CHAPTER  XMI 
THE  SHELL  OF  THE  HOUSE 


THE  average  woman's  idea  of  braiiti- 
l\inf;  her  home  is  to  buy  new  things 
for  it.  She  covets  a  rug  like  Mrs. 
Brown's,  a  cut-glass  pumh-bowl  like  Mrs. 
Jones'  anil  brand-new  turniture  like  Mrs. 
Robinson's.  She  thinks  it  she  could  only 
add  new  household  goils  lier  home  would 
be  a  ver}"  tine  place.  She  does  not  concern 
herself  with  the  possible  beauty  of  the  house 
it.self.  It  does  not  occur  to  her  to  work  at 
fundamentals  first,  to  begin  at  the  shell  of 
her  house  and  work  inward. 

By  the  shell  of  the  house  I  mean  the  walls, 
floors,  ceilings,  woodwork,  doors,  wimlows, 
mantels,  cupboards,  and  in  tact  all  the  archi- 
tectural details  that  make  or  mar  the  interior 
of  a  house.  The  placing  of  a  picture-rail  is 
of  more  importance  than  any  amount  of  new 
furniture,  and  a  too  elaborate  mantel  is  worse 
than  any  detached  [lossession. 

There  is  one  period  in  liouse-buiKling 
when  M>ur  house  is  potentially  as  beauti- 
ful as  you  care  to  make  it:  when  the  shell 
of  it  is  reaily  for  the  workmen  who  will 
smooth  its  rough  edges  and  make  a  home  of 


it.  I  love  to  visit  a  house  in  the  rough,  to 
wade  through  sand-piles  and  climb  over 
heaps  of  timber,  to  explore  and  speculate  on 
this  promising  home  in  the  making.  Thin* 
is  a  great  fascination  in  the  rough  frame  of 
so  much  jHissible  beauty  and  hajipiness.  We 
are  tree  to  wander  through  it,  to  anticipate 
closets  here  ami  bookshelves  there,  to  hang 
its  skeleton  walls  with  the  [licturcs  that  mean 
beauty  to  us,  to  till  it>  tireplaces  with  log  tires, 
to  cover  its  tloors  with  magic  rugs,  to  {Koplc 
it  with  congenial  friends — in  short,  to  make 
b«'lieve  a  home  for  ourselves. 

How  man\  houses  I  have  enjoyeil  in  tlw 
rough,  only  to  shudder  over  them  when  they 
wen-  tini>hed  and  tilled  with  unworthy 
thing>I  I  have  a  strong  sjTiipathy  ft»r  the 
architect  who  plans  l>eautiful  interiors  tor 
people  of  no  appreciation.  It  must  Ik  hard 
to  |>lan  an  lionot  house  for  linen-and-ging- 
ham  p«'ople  and  then  have  them  try  to  live 
silk-and-plush  lives. 

Manx  of  you  have  houses  alreaily,  proba- 
blv,  and  do  not  wi>h  to  make  structural 
changes.  You  may  not  be  able  to  have  new 
47 


THE  HONEST  HOI  SE 


•      _   - 
1              ^^^^^^^^^^ 

■  •-.  fl . ., ,,. ....    '•^'•.  ■                     ^ 

ii  "  ' 

' '  .-...^d^fl^Mi^HHHttk         '  jskj 

Samuel  Howe,  Architect. 
During  the  past  decade  the  bungalows  have    become   popular   with    home-builders.    Most    of   them,    however,    have 
little   value   from   an   architectural    point   of   view;    they   are   too   frequently    overornamented    and    awkward    in    design. 
This  bungalow   of   Mr.   Howe's  has   the  merit  of   unpretentiousness.      Its  plan,  somewhat  modified,  is  given  at  the  bot- 
tom of  this  page. 

doors  and  windows  and  mantels,  but  }ou  can 
improve  those  you  have.  You  can  deter- 
mine the  finish  of  your  walls  and  ceilings. 
You  can  make  your  floors  good  or  bad. 
You  can  at  least  empty  your  rooms,  one  at 
a  time,  of  furniture,  and  go  to  the  root  of 
\()ur  troubles.  When  you  have  made  the 
best  of  the  shell  ot  the  room  }ou  '11  be  so 
pleased  with  the  restfulness  of  space  that 
you  will  be  tucking  }our  excess  furniture 
away  in  the  attic,  instead  of  coveting  new 
things. 

Ot  course,  if  you  are  planning  to  build  a 
148 


THK  SHELL  Ol    THE  HOISE 


ntw  house,  anythinf^  is  possible  tor  you.  It 
does  n't  matter  how  little  you  have  to  spend: 
"Good  taste  builds  a  house  for  peasants  to 
live  in."  It  is  n't  the  lack  of  money  that 
makes  so  many  houses  commonplace,  it  is  the 
lack  ot  forethouf^ht.  Ecw  ot  us  will  build 
more  than  one  house  in  a  lifetime,  therefore 
we  shoiilil  huilcl  ir  \vis(l\.  1  approve  ot 
builtiin^  }our  houiic  with  worils  and  pcmil 
and  paper.  It  does  n't  matter  if  you  are  nt 
f^oinj;  to  build  for  five  years,  or  ten,  you  can 
read  books  on  architecture  and  decoration, 
you  can  till  note-books  with  observations  of 
the  mistakes  and  successes  ot  )our  triends, 
you  can  make  scrai)-b(x)ks  ot  house  plans  and 
photographs  and  such,  ami  when  jour  house 
is  at  last  realized  it  will  be  well  worth  while. 

As  with  the  exterior,  so  the  interior  ot  your 
house  will  be  a  success  or  not  de|)endinj; 
largely  on  whether  the  detail,  architectural 
ami  otlu  r.  is  gcKxi.  The  three  rooms  which 
ordinarii)  have  the  most  detail  in  them  are 
the  hall,  the  living  room,  and  the  dining 
room.  In  these  r(X)ms  it  is  not  uncommon 
td  have  fireplaces,  wainscoting,  cornices, 
beamed  ceiling.s,  and  built-in  furniture  in  ad- 
dition to  the  door  ami  wimlow  trim  which 
is  common  throughout  the  house.  Now  all 
the.se  elements  are  architectural,  and  they 
need  as  much  consideration  as  the  details  on 
the  outside  of  your  hou.se. 

A  room  consists  broailly  ot  three  eleininr--. 
the  tloor.  walls,  ami  the  c<-iling.  Ot  these 
till-  walls  ot  tourse  i)restiir  the  greatest  op- 
portunity tor  liaii  il(  sign  aiul  bat!  treatment. 
In  the  rreatnifiit  ot  the  room,  to  give  an  im- 
pression of  lightness,  keep  the  tone  ot  your 
floor  liarker  than  your  wall,  and  \our  walK 
darker  than  the  ceiling.  The  theory  of  thi- 
treatment  of  the  interior  finds  its  |>arallel  in 
an  out-of-doors  lami.scap«-.      If  )ou  liK)k  first 


at  the  ground  and  then  raix  yn,i  .  ><  -  -mw  1\, 
you  will  see  that  the  ground  and  the  immedi- 
ate toreground  with  its  bashes  and  graiis  has 
a  stronger  value  than  the  distant  fields  and 
hills,  and  the  value  of  these  fields  and  hills  is 
stronger  than  the  value  ot  the  sky  at  the 
horizon,  and  the  value  of  the  sky  at  the  hori- 
zon is  stronger  that  that  of  the  sky  higher  up. 
This  is  why  the  arrangement  of  an  oak  floor 
covered  with  dark  blue  or  green  oriental  rugs, 
with  the  walls  pa|)ered  or  tinted  in  s<ime  tone 
of  light  gray  or  light  yellow  and  the  ceiling 


There  i«  fine  JiRniiy   in  ilie  uiicluntrrd  •p»tT»  o(   ihit 
room   in   ilic  Ca»a    Hlanci,   Sjii   .\ng»l,    Mt»ictt 


'49 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


Photograph  by  Lillian  liaMies  Grittiii. 

This  house,  on  the  north  shore  of  Long  Island  Sound,  fits  well  into  its  surroundings. 


treated  with  the  phiin  white  or  the  faintest 
tijipe  of  color,  gives  an  impression  of  gayness 
and  space. 

If  you  wish  to  have  an  interior  which  is 
gloomy,  keep  the  ceiling  darker  than  the 
walls,  and  the  walls  darker  than  the  floor. 

Not  so  long  ago  people  generally  refused 
to  admit  the  presence  of  floors  in  their  houses. 
The}-  concealed  them  with  carefully  fitted 
velvet  carpets,  thi".-k  of  pile  and  gaudy  of 
coloring.  They  pretended  to  like  walking 
on  beds  of  cabbage  roses  and  bows  of  ribbons. 
They  even  added  insult  to  injury  bj-  piling 
rugs  upon  carpets,  and  insulted  the  hearth  by 
flinging  a  rug  representing  a  life-size  collie 
dog,  done  in  red  and  green  and  brown,  before 
it.  They  did  n't  question  the  wisdom  of 
having  dogs  and  sheep  and  flowers  beneath 
their  feet — but  accepted  them  as  being  finer 
than  [ilain  boards,  because  their  neighbors  ac- 
cepted them. 

Then  came  the  wave  of  interest  in  sanita- 
tion,  in  hygiene,   and  the  dreadful   carpets 


gave  way  to  expensive  parquetr}'  floors. 
The  floors  probably  had  intricate  patterns  of 
different  colored  blocks  of  wood.  I  have 
seen  may  parquetry  floors  that  were  quite  as 
bad  as  flowered  carpets.  The  parquetry  man 
has  a  devilish  ingenuity,  as  any  one  who  will 
take  the  trouble  to  enter  his  shop  can  see. 
He  can  execute  squirrels  cracking  nuts,  palm- 
leaf  fans,  American  flags,  lilies-of-the-valley, 
and  lions  in  the  jungle,  all  in  many  colored 
woods.  But  do  }ou  want  picture-puzzle 
floors?  I  don't  think  so.  Good  honest 
boards,  well  polished,  with  just  enough  rugs 
to  give  warmth  and  softness,  are  good  enough 
for  any  house. 

I  am  not  condemning  parquetry  floors. 
Those  made  of  blocks  of  wood  of  uniform 
size  and  of  not  too  abrupt  a  gradation  in 
color  are  very  good.  The  floor  to  be  avoided 
is  the  conspicuous  floor,  the  floor  that  ceases 
to  be  a  background  and  jumps  up  to  meet 
you  when  \ou  enter  the  room.  A  floor  of 
bricks  or  tiles  is  beautiful,  because  we  ex- 


150 


THE  SHKLL  OF  THK  HOLSE 


pect  bricks  and  tiles  to  come  in  small  squares 
and  oblonpp.  But  we  expect  lumber  in  long 
pieces,  and  a  floor  composed  of  boards  that 
have  been  carefully  cut  apart  and  then  put 
together  again  reminds  us  ot  the  mere  man 
who  pondered  over  the  ejelet  embroider) 
that  occupied  his  wife:  What  could  he  the 
wisdom  of  punching  holes  in  cloth  just  to  sew 
them  up  again"? 

It  you  have  an  old  house  with  floors  made 
of  wide  boards,  paint  them.  Hardwood 
floors  are  preferable  to  painted  floors,  but 
painted  boards  are  infinitely  better  than  car- 
pets. One  of  the  best  hoiLses  I  know  is  a 
New  England  farmhouse  now  used  as  a  sum- 
mer home  by  people  who  appreciate  its  good 
points.  It  was  necessary  to  lay  new  floors 
in  the  bedrooms,  but  the  downstairs  rooms 
were  fl(M)r(d  with  eighteen-inch  boartls,  en- 
tirely t(x)  tine  to  be  discarded.  The  old 
house  is  square,  four  rooms  to  a  floor,  each 
room  wainscoted  with  plain  white  boanls 
on  three  walls  and  i)aneled  to  the  ceiling  on 
the  fireplace  wall.  The  woodwork  is  all 
white,  the  walls  painted  a  soft  robin's-egg 
blue,  and  the  wide  boards  of  the  floor  are 
painted  a  bright  leaf-green.  This  treatment, 
with  simple  New  England  furniture,  rag 
rugs,  Swiss  curtains,  open  fireplaces  with 
well  uxil  brasses,  and  huge  jugs  of  wild 
flowers,  is  somehow  exactly  right.  You  tiel 
that  the  green  boards  are  resjwnsiblc  tor  the 
rightness  ot  it. 

Ir  might  be  safely  saiil  that  all  New  ICng- 
land  ceilings  are  tcxi  low,  ant!  all  .Soutlurn 
ceilings  too  high.  The  cause  is  obvious:  the 
New  England  house  was  built  to  ctmserve 
warmth  in  winrtr,  ami  the  .Southern  house 
was  built  for  summer  comtort.  Architec- 
tural etT<'(fs  w<  re  n't  often  consideretl  in 
either :  perhap>  that  i^  wh\  they  are  so  goo*!. 


despite  their  ceilings.  Carpenters  were  con- 
tent to  be  carjienters  in  those  days,  and  they 
built  for  utility  and  comfort.  They  had  n't 
begun  to  {)retend  to  be  architects. 

The  matter  ot  the  height  of  \..ui  k  iling 
ilepends  to  a  certain  extent  on  the  amount  of 
window  space  you  have.  It  w:is  the  tasluon 
fornierly  to  make  the  story  heights  consider- 
able. In  the  pericxi  of  iSHo  a  rtx)m  height 
of  eleven  teet  was  not  unusual,  wherexs  now 
in  mtKlest  country,  work  a  room  height  from 
eight  to  nine  feet,  except  for  a  very  large 
room,  say  over  sixteen  feet  by  twenty-five 
feet,  is  generally  recognized  as  ade<iuatc. 
One  great  advantage  of  the  lower  r«K)m  is 
that  it  is  much  eiLsier  to  decorate.  It  you 
use  a  beamed  ceiling,  count  your  ceiling 
height  from  the  bottom  of  the  apparent 
beams,  and  do  not  make  your  beams  project 
nnich  from  the  ceiling.  Beams  four  inches 
deep  and  five  inches  wide  spaced  about  two 
feet  on  center  is  an  average  gotxl  arrangement 
for  a  span  ot  fitteen  teet. 

The  treatment  of  a  low-ceiled  rtxim  is 
simple:  the  wall  color  should  meet  the  ceil- 
ing, with  a  narrow  moliiing  as  dividing  line. 

There  are  many  ways  of  lowering  a  too- 
high  ceiling.  The  simple.st  method  is  to 
lirop  the  picture-rail  four  or  five  feet,  and 
treat  the  wall-space  above  the  rail  a-<  a  part 
of  the  ceiling.  Then  you  will  not  be  con- 
scious of  where  frieze-spac«'  stoi>s  and  ceiling 
begins.  The  eye  will  travel  no  higher  than 
the  picture  rail. 

The  (»ther  method  is  to  have  a  simple 
wainscoting  three  or  four  feet  deep,  painted 
or  stained  to  match  the  n-st  of  the  wcxKlwork, 
and  a  smaller  space  between  picture-rail  anil 
ceiling.  \Vainsc<itings  are  very  gtHnl  in  any 
higlweilingjil  r«H)ms  that  have  cream  <»r 
«hite  wtxHlwork.  btit  a  wainsi-oting  of  dark 


I  ;i 


THE  HONKST  HOUSE 


Dr»«n  hy  Cliftrl.  »  S.  rhajinian 

Here   brown   woodwork   is   used   wiili   liiowii   beamed   ceiling  and   cream   waslied   walls 
of  the  settles,  the  "built-in"  cupboard,   and  the   English   treatment  of  tlie   fireplace. 


Xnie   the   generous  width 


wood  is  too  formal  a  finish  for  any  room,  ex- 
cept halls  and  libraries,  or  living-rooms  with 
dark  tinted  walls. 

The  treatment  of  vour  ccilinjj:  should  be 


work,  and  the  effect  was  excellent,  but  usu- 
al l_\-  it  is  better  to  have  beams  and  woodwork 
ot  the  same  wood  and  finish.  If  you  have 
brown  oak  woodwork  and  beams,  the  plas- 
determined  by  the  finish  of  your  walls  and  tered  space  above  the  picture-rail  and  the 
woodwork.  Plain  whitewashed  ceilings  are  spaces  between  the  beams  may  be  cream  or 
always  safe,  but  a  cream  wash  is  better  than  \  el  low  or  gray  or  tan.  If  your  beamed  room 
dead  white,  just  as  cream  paint  is  better  for  has  mahogany  doors  and  furniture  and  white 
woodwork  than  white.  Pure  white  is  the  woodwork,  paint  beams  and  ceiling  white. 
most  difficult  of  colors  for  the  amateur  deco-  The  next  stumbling  block  is  the  window 
rator.     It  should  be  used  sjxiringl)-.  and  door  trim.     Here  is  where  the  carpenter 

It  }i)u  are  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  designed  house  again  betrays  itself;  because 
beamed  ceiling,  the  beams  should  be  scra[ietl  in  it  the  trim  is  almost  sure  to  be  too  heavy 
to  the  grain  and  waxed.  I  have  seen  brown  and  the  moldings  too  coarse.  There  is  no 
oak  beams  in  a  room  finished  in  white  wood- 


need  of  using  a  "stock"  molding,  which  is 


ip 


THK  SHKLL  OF   IHK  HOUSE 

almost  invariably  ufjly.      One  ot  the  clicap-  keep  it  simple,  it  you  wish  to  ;:«-t  an  attrac- 

est  and  best  looking  window  and  door  trims  tive  and  restrained  etfett. 

is  shown  below   (Aj.      It  is  not  only  inex-  It  the  trim  is  painted  white  it  can  atford 

pensive,  but  is  easy  to  put  in  position.     The  to  be  molded,  and  the  nioidings  can  Ik-  liner 

double  hung  window  as  it  is  generally  built  in  scale,  than  it  it  is  staineil.     With  stained 

requires  a  width  of  trim  of  at  least  tive  inches  woodwork  the  shadows  of  the  molding  d»j  not 

to  cover  the  plaster.      It  can  be  designed  so  stand  out  clearly,  whereas  with  white  painted 

that  it  will  be  narrower,  and  as  a  rul«    rtu  uinxlwork  the  trim  may  be  so  Hat  that  it  may 

narrower  it  is  made,  the  better  it  look.-.  seem  bahl  and  uninteresting. 

It  your  trim  is  of  this  tjpe,  the  tiat  part  If  you  wish  to  stain  your  trim,  go  warily. 

of  th(    trim  ma\    hi-  kept  narrow  by  using  a  Dark  woodwork  is  an  absolutely  comjH-lling 

baik-molding  as  shown  ( BB ).  aiul  thus  gain  precedent:     you     have     to     follow     its    de- 

the  nece.ssary  width.  mands.      Che>tnut.    or  oak,   or   redwcMKl,   or 

There  is  a  .saying  that  "  interior  iletail  can-  whatever  w(kx1  you  |)lea.se  may  Ix-  uM-d  with 
not  be  made  too  small  in  scale"  and  while  it  excellent  results  if  you  plan  everv  stick  of 
is  an  exaggeration,  there  is  much  truth  in  it.  your  furniture  to  harmonize  with  it.  Other- 
Keep  your  trim  as  small   as  you  can.   and  wi>e,  there  is  great  danger  of  chishing  effects. 


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Bmli  lllc^c  iM>c-  i.f  il.K.r  iriiii  avoi.l  ilie  ncic»«ily  of  miicrtJ  coriictv  1  lie  t\amnlc  ai  ihc  led  n  nkni  |i.><ii  an 
old  Ih>u>c  on  l.DiiK  Maiul.  In  cliann  rc^i«  on  ilie  cscrllcncc  of  ii<  moKlc.l  »rrtiiHi.  li  i»  hriWf.  h.iwrvrf.  in  unall 
hoiir.«  lo  cmplov  a-,  narrow  a  trim  ai  pm^ihle;  5'/'  \y  a  matiinum  »idlh;  4"  '"  4'j'  ''  •»'  l«itrr.  K.>r  Rrnrral 
piirpo«'i  for  .l™.r^  aiul  window!,  ihe  irim  shown  ai  the  rinhl  i>  riccllcni;  ra.v  to  con.iruci  and  fflrrtnr  in  i«  .<m- 
pliciiv.     .Note   the   panclini;  of   ilic  doors. 

«53 


THE  hoxp:.st  house 


It  you  have  been  teniptetl  by  some  arch  tienti 
ot  a  "painter  and  decorator"  (generally  a 
near-American  who  doesn't  speak  Enfjlish 
anil  who  believes  that  a  cut-out  border  ot 
pink  roses  or  jnirple  j^'rapes  is  the  last  word 
in  wall  decoration)  to  stain  all  your  wood- 
work to  imitate  mahofjany,  tor  instance,  I 
pity  you.  You  have  set  the  mark  ot  indiffer- 
ence uj)on  yourselt.  A  birch  cliair  ma}  be 
stained  to  imitate  mahopany,  and  it  may  re- 
main unobtrusive.  But  the  moment  niaho<;- 
any  woodwork  asserts  itself  we  "look  it  in  the 
grain."  It  nuist  be  real.  There  is  the  chance 
ot  changing  the  chair,  30U  see.  The  wood- 
work is  a  fundamental,  and  should  be  what 
it  seems. 

This  does  not  mean  tliar  your  woodwork 
will  lose  in  character  if  you  paint  it.  Paint 
is  paint — if  it  is  applied  properly.  It  may 
be  streaked  and  wiggled  to  imitate  graining 
aiui  knot  holes,  and  it  becomes  a  nameless 
thing  that  has  no  excuse  for  being.  We  are 
accustomed  to  think  of  jiainted  woodwork 
as  being  white,  cream,  or  French  gra}',  but 
given  proper  consideration  there  are  many 
other  colors  that  may  be  applied  to  the  trim 
of  a  room.  Yellow,  jnitty-color,  a  dull 
green-blue,  a  gray  green  or  a  yellow  green, 
— all  these  colors  maj^  be  applied  to  wood- 
work it  the  color  of  the  room  is  worked  out 
skilfully. 

I  know  a  kitchen  in  an  old  Long  Island 
tarmhouse  that  has  dark  blue  woodwork 
and  pale  gray  plaster  walls.  The  dark  blue 
doors  are  relieved  by  gra}'  trees  painted 
upon  them.  The  room  is  very  successful. 
There  is  a  room  in  another  house  where  the 
walls  and  woodwork  are  painted  bright  yel- 
low, and  the  curtains  are  of  a  blue  that  has 
a  tinge  of  green  in  it.  .\nother  has  the 
woodwork   painted   cream,    with    an   orange 


line  outlining  door  panels  and  moldings.  A 
little  cottage  has  all  its  walls  washed  with 
liuU  green  ami  all  its  woodwork  painted  a 
very  nuirh  tlarkcr  shade  ot  the  same  color. 
.Ml  these  rooms  were  jilanned  b}-  people  who 
understand  color,  and  therefore  were  able  to 
do  as  they  j)leased. 

This  freedom  that  conies  with  sound  taste 
ap[)lies  also  to  staining  woodwork:  gray, 
green,  and  even  violet  may  be  rubbed  light!}- 
into  raw  wooti  b}'  a  man  who  knows  what  he 
is  doing.  If  you  are  n't  sure  of  }ourself,  stick 
to  neutral  colored  paints  and  stains.  Avoid 
imitation  mahogany  c?/:a/i'.f,  but  use  brown 
or  gray  stains  on  almost  an)-  wood  you 
please.  If  you  have  real  oak  or  chestnut 
rrini.  In  all  means  give  it  the  effect  ot  oak 
or  chestnut,  if  you  don't  care  for  painted 
trim. 

Granted  that  you  are  willing  to  choose  all 
your  turniture  and  rugs  and  wall-papers  to 
go  with  oak  or  chestnut  woodwork,  avoid  var- 
nishes if  }'Ou  would  keep  your  self-respect. 
Almost  any  wood  may  be  stained  lightly  and 
waxed,  and  it  will  be  good  in  effect,  but  there 
ne\-er  w;is  a  wood  that  would  stantl  a  thick 
coat  of  varnish.  Polish  it  as  much  as  you 
please,  stain  it  judiciously  to  heighten  the 
shadows  of  the  grain,  but  don't  varnish  it. 

Inhere  is  a  deplorable  fashion  in  the  South 
and  \\'est  that  has  sprung  from  the  vogue  of 
yellow-pine  woodwork.  This  is  to  make 
the  tioors,  ceilings,  wainscoting  and  wood- 
work of  a  room  of  yellow-pine  boards,  oiled 
or  \arnished  to  a  slippery  degree,  and  to 
plaster  the  walls  a  ghastly  white.  The 
floors  will  take  on  a  good  color  with  age  and 
use,  but  the  shiny  ceiling,  eternally  threaten- 
ing, is  unpardonable.  Yellow  pine  may  be 
macfe  very  beautiful  b}-  rubbing  in  a  tan  or 
gray  or  brown  stain,  but  in  the  natural  finish 


154 


THE  SHKLL  OF   IHK  HOUSE 


Uiiwjrii  iffeciilc>,  Afclnicvl. 
An  excellent  adaptation  of  the  English  type  of  small  houses.     The  plans,  shown  below,  are  carefully  thuuKhi  out. 


it  has  the  color  of  a  har  of  laundry  soap. 
No  niattir  how  good  your  turniturc  may  be, 
yellow  ]iine  kills  it. 

The  onl)  thing  to  do  with  such  a  nxjin  is 
to  paint  every  bit  of  the  wood,  e.\Tej)t  the 
floor,  white  or  cream.  If  the  varnish  were 
not  so  thick  }ou  might  stain  the  wooilwork 
and  paint  the  ceiling  white  or  cream,   but 


whatever  you  do,  paint  the  ceiling!  It  will 
no  longer  hang  like  a  pall  over  your  rcxim. 
And  do  something  to  those  ghastly  while 
waIN  I  If  you  don't  like  wall-|>a|X'rs  or  col- 
ored walls,  if  you  are  waiting  for  your  house 
to  settle,  jiaint  the  walls  a  soft  cream  or  tan 
or  gray.  White  walls  are  ;ls  mistaken  as 
oiled  pine  ceilings:  all  physicians  and  oini- 


r 


I 


h  r' 


'.?? 


THK  HONEST  HOl'SE 


lists  deplore  the  distressing  effects  of  the 
white  glare  on  the  nerves.  There  is  no  rea- 
son in  the  world  why  white  shoulil  be  con- 
sidered cleaner  for  walls  than  cream  or  tan 
or  yellow. 

There  is  another  mistaken  ceiling  treat- 
ment that  has  been  brought  about  bj-  cata- 
logues of  wall-papers  probably,  ami  this  is  to 
paper  ceilings  with  moire  papers,  or  papers 
sparkling  with  stars.  Moire  suggests  a 
watered  surface,  and  wh}-  should  we  wish  our 
ceilings  to  remind  us  of  thr  rippling  of 
waves'?  As  for  tlie  stars — go  outside  for 
them.  Forego  the  indulgence  of  a  papered 
ceiling,  and  buy  a  better  paper  for  your 
walls. 

These  are  the  general  first  considerations 
of  the  shell  of  the  house — floors,  ceilings,  and 
woodwork.  The  treatment  of  walls  will  be 
discussed  in  another  chapter. 

There  is  another  subject  which  really 
should  be  considered  while  the  house  is  in  the 
shell,  and  that  is  the  matter  of  built-in  furni- 
ture. It  does  n't  matter  whether  )0ur  house 
is  still  in  embryo;  whether  you  are  making 
over  an  old  house  planned  antl  built  b)'  some 
one  else,  )ou  can  make  it  ven,-  much  more 
your  own  by  building  certain  things.  You 
may  have  lived  in  jour  house  for  years,  and 
still  find  there  are  advantages  in  built-in 
furniture  that  you  cannot  afford  to  disre- 
gard. 

To  be  good  at  all,  it  must  be  vet}-,  z-cry 
good.  Otherwise,  it  is  n't  furniture.  Grant- 
ing that  it  is  well  designed,  well  constructed, 
and  a  logical  part  of  the  room,  its  case  may 
be  summed  up  pretty  much  as  follows: 

It  is  more  interesting  than  "detached" 
furniture  because  it  has  a  flavor  of  the  de- 
signer's personality,  a  suggestion  of  judicious 
planning. 


It  is  more  dignified,  because  it  has  been 
planned  for  permanency. 

It  is  more  decorative,  because  it  has  been 
considered  as  a  part  of  a  whole,  and  there- 
fore has  an  architectural  relation  to  the  room. 

It  is  more  reposeful,  because  it  keeps  its 
place  as  a  part  of  the  wall. 

It  is  more  duralile.  because  it  cannot  be 
mauled  about  by  the  careless. 

It  is  more  economical  because  it  ma}'  be 
constructed  at  a  nominal  cost  of  labor  and 
material,  antl,  once  finished,  it  invites  no 
further  outlay. 

Built-in  furniture  is  very  good  in  a  small 
nx)m,  because  it  takes  and  keeps  its  place  as 
a  part  of  the  wall,  and  increases  the  floor 
space.  It  is  advantageous  in  a  room  of  great 
size,  because  it  then  becomes  of  architectural 
importance,  and  may  be  of  great  decorative 
value  in  mass  and  color  if  its  conception  is  in 
scale  with  the  architect's  concejition  of  the 
room  as  a  whole. 

Built-in  furniture,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
for  the  permanent  home,  not  for  the  transi- 
tory one.  If  you  are  n't  satisfied  with  the 
house  }'()u  live  in,  you  'd  better  buy  filings 
you  can  move. 

It  must  be  -zve//  built,  because  you  cannot 
change  it  as  you  would  an  unsatisfactory 
chair  or  table. 

It  must  be  logically  placed,  because  there 
is  no  latitude  of  change  in  a  room  that  has 
been  so  furnished,  and  what  normal  woman 
does  n't  love  to  move  furniture  about"?  So 
it  will  be  best  to  build  in  only  the  things  that 
belong  inevitably  where  you  place  them. 

It  has  a  dignity  which  must  be  respected; 
it  will  not  stand  being  "prettified."  Give  it 
no  laces  and  ribbons,  or  }ou  '11  destroy  its 
reason  for  being.  Its  restraint  and  formal- 
ity must  be  preserved.     The  ideal   built-in 


156 


THE  SHELL  OF   I  HF.  HOUSE 


This   fireplace    is    in    a    remodeled   barn    near    Hruokliaven,    Long  hiand.     The    ireaimeni    of    the    iiteful    lillle   cup- 
boards ja   ingenious   and   decorative. 

furniture  rtprfscnts  ^n:ir  siniplHity  ami  per-  sccrftarics  with  liiainonil-panrd  iliH)r.s  and  on 

feet  crattsnianshi|).  the  hroail  i>r(>j«rtinj,'  >h«lt   the  colUrtion  of 

For  so  man}  \(:irs  \\c  woiucn  were  slaves  family  hric-a-brai  which  had  to  be  removed 
to  bulky  things!  W'v  iliil  n't  tliink  for  our-  piece  by  piece  b<'fore  you  ctnild  o|K-n  the  dt»r 
selves.  Our  classii-  houses  hail  t<H)  much  ot  ami  j;et  a  IxxjkV  Such  Ixnikcast-s  were  not 
geometrical  exactness  to  peniiit  closets,  or  very  encoura^inj^  to  the  children's  love  of 
window-scats,  or  open  hook-shelves,  and  we  readin;:.  Surely  there  couKI  Iv  nothing 
nittkly  endured  the  colossal  furniture  that  more  sensible  than  o|Mn  IxKikshelvrs  with  the 
was  thrust  ujum  us.  Some  of  us  still  endure  friemlly  b(H>ks  spread  out  invitin;:ly  and  the 
— more  's  the  pity  !  There  are  still  incredible  mosaic  of  their  binilin;:s  addmj:  to  the  decora- 
houses  where  ponderous  wardrobes  s«-rve  in-  tion  of  tin-  nM>m.  .\nd  yet  I  kn«»w  many 
stead  of  closets,  and  heavy  bookcases  tower  people  who  |>rotest  at  n\H-n  IxMik-shrl vrs. 
to  the  ceilin-;,  with  dim  j^Iass  d<H)rs  etfectu-  The  smaller  our  houM-,  the  more  nrcrvsary 
ally  concealinj;  the  b<M)ks.  it  iMcomes  to  consider  its  imwibilitirs.     Wc 

Haven't    y«)u    seen    those    beautiful    oUI  nuLst  not   forget  that  the  fireplaix-  with  its 

'?7 


IHK  HONEST  HOUSE 


sumiountinp  mantel,  the  wimiows  with  their 
broad  sills,  the  closets  and  cupboards,  are 
all  architectural  furniture,  and  must  be 
studied  in  relation  to  the  detached  objects  to 
be  broujjht  into  the  room,  as  well  as  in  rela- 
tion to  the  window-seats,  the  settles,  the  o[)en 
book-shelves,  that  will  become  a  part  of  the 
room.  A  closet  witli  well  placed  shelves 
and  glass  doors  becomes  as  definite  and  use- 
ful a  j)art  ot  the  furnishinj:js  of  the  dining- 
room  as  the  chairs  and  table.  The  chimney- 
piece  invites  book-shelves  in  the  recess  flank- 
ing it,  and  the  book-shelves  invite  settles, 
and  so  an  ordinary  corner  becomes  a  [ilace 
for  foregathering  The  turn  of  the  stair  in- 
vites another  settle,  with  a  woodbox  beneath 


its  seat.  A  group  of  windows  invites  a  long 
window-seat,  with  a  latticed  paneling  that 
conceals  the  necessar\-,  but  hideous,  radiators. 
The  kitchen,  ot  course,  is  pnuricall}  made  up 
ot  built-in  furniture.  It  needs  no  argument. 
Ever}'  angle  of  the  house  should  be  given 
the  furniture  it  invites,  and  convention 
should  be  subordinated  to  ingenuit}-.  When 
the  house  is  finished  it  will  be  pleasantly 
furnished:  only  tables  and  chairs  will  be  im- 
mediately necessary.  You  can  wait  com- 
fortabh-  for  the  things  you  really  want. 
There  will  be  no  temptation  to  rush  in  antl 
buy  recklessl)-,  and  in  the  fullness  of  time  you 
will  be  able  to  furnish  your  home  with 
"finds"  that  will  become  real  household  gods. 


Kilham  and   Hopkins,  Architects. 
Here  advantage   lias  heen   talcen  of  the  steep  slope  of  the   hillside  in   order   to  give   an   interesting  and   unusual 
Appearance  to  the  house. 


158 


CHAPIKK  Win 


A  PLEA  lOK  nil:  UKARTH 


BEFORE  we  go  furtluT  into  the  treat- 
ment of  walls  and  windows,  ot 
woodwork  anti  built-in  turniture,  I 
want  to  talk  about  tli<'  most  important  fea- 
ture of  the  shell  of  the  house:  The  Hearth. 
I  like  to  think  that  all  houses,  no  matter 
how  dreary  they  ma}-  be  at  times,  become 
homes  once  a  year,  at  Christmas.  If  hai)pi- 
ness  doesn't  fill  your  house  at  Christmas 
there  is  something  radically  wrong  with  the 
house  or  the  j)eople  in  it.  I  womicr  if  the 
fault  is  with  the  Iioum"!'  I  wonder  if  it  is 
built  around  a  hearth V 

There  was  a  time  when  the  hearth  was  to 
the  house  what  the  heart  is  to  the  body ; 
when  the  hanging  of  the  crane  was  the 
symbol  of  the  birth  of  a  home;  when  hr«- 
glow  was  the  e%tning  light;  when  the  spin- 
ning wheel  whirred  here,  and  the  meals  were 
prepared  here,  and  the  hooded  craille  was 
snug  in  the  shadows  of  the  setth  ;  w  hi  ii  tam- 
ily  traditions  and  folk  songs  ami  fairy  tales 
and  prayers  were  hamied  down  from  one  gen- 
eration to  anotlur:  when  the  problems  ot 
the   family   anil    tin-   nation   w<re   tiiscus^eii 


here;  wlien  the  passing  traveler  w:is  wel- 
comed for  the  sake  of  hosjjitalitj,  and  for 
the  sake  of  news  of  the  world  outside.  The 
hearth  was  the  foundation.  The  home  was 
an  elastic  i)lace  built  art)und  it. 

The  hearth  stcx>d  tor  something  more  than 
mere  physical  comfort  then.  It  >uhx\  pre- 
eminently for  family  loyalty,  and  we  must 
be  skilful  indeed  to  give  our  children  this 
saving  ijuality  in  the  mechanical  ^h(K•  K).\es 
that  jerry-builders  iliru>t  uinm  us  and  call 
"homes." 

Certainly  none  of  us  wishes  to  revive  the 
primitive  customs  of  our  ancestors.  We  are 
vastly  better  otf  materially;  we  understand 
hygiene  and  sanitation  and  m;uij  things  our 
forel>ears  h;ul  n«)  time  to  ctmtemplate.  \Vc 
read  by  well->hailed  lights  and  >ave  our  ryes. 
We  bu)  our  cloth  read)  spim  and  wo\en, 
and  h;ive  no  regret  for  spinning-wlii-rl  ilajs. 
W'f  are  done  with  the  drudgery  of  the  crane 
and  its  ungainly  |x)ts,  ami  we  no  Unigrr  r«-- 
tjuire  the  services  of  the  wanning  pan — wr 
treasure  it  tor  dec»irafi\e  |nir|)«»Nr>I  Our 
hou>es  are  as  wami  as  ia;Lst,  .\laildin-wann. 


i?0 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


/vr-T^'i^-^H^''  Axru^' 


Kdmund  B.  Gilchrist,  Architect. 
This  shows  the  advantages  of  a  well-arranged  foreground.     The  house  is  Mr.  W.  \V.  Gilchrist's  at  St.  Martins, 
Philadelphia. 


and  we  have  no  material   need  of  the  old- 
time  hearth. 

But — there  is  another  side  to  the  iiicture. 
Are  the  fairy  stories  in  gaily  covered  bind- 
ings as  wonderful  as  were  those  we  heard 
from  our  mother's  lips  when  we  were  chil- 
dren'? Do  the  illustrations  compare  with 
the  marvelous  pictures  we  saw  in  the  flames'? 
Can  the  modern  wedding  trip  be  as  soul-sat- 
isfying as  was  the  ceremony  of  the  hanging 
ot  the  crane"?  Are  the  newspapers  more  in- 
teresting than  were  the  travelers  from  the 
outside  world'?  Are  grandfather's  Memoirs, 
bound  in  tooled  leather,  worth  as  much  to 
our  children  as  the  family  traditions  tho.se 
other  grandfathers  passed  on  to  the  crackle 
of  the  logs  and  the  flare  of  the  flames'? 
Have  we  any  such  logical  home  center,  where 
we  may  meet  and  talk,  or  listen,  with  the 


feeling  of  home   and   fam 


iiv   s 


trong   within 


US'? 


Think  it  over:  when  you  were  a  child, 
did  n't  most  of  the  things  that  really  mat- 
tered have  the  hearth  as  background'?  I  am 
sorry  for  our  modern  children,  with  their 
orderly  lives  and  their  rigid  routine  and 
nothing  to  touch  the  si)ark  to  their  imagina- 
tions. Poor  dears !  \^'hat  chance  have 
they  in  our  smug,  shiny  little  houses  that  are 
so  empty  of  tradition'?  Material  things 
have  improved  amazingly,  but  if  we  have 
lost  a  jot  of  the  strong  feeling  tor  family 
that  should  be  ours,  all  our  gain  is  as  noth- 
ing, for  the  happiness  of  the  whole  world 
dejiends  upon  the  conservation  of  family 
life. 

Two  of  my  friends,  young  married  people, 
recently  built  a  house  in  a  suburb  of  ISew 


160 


A  PLEA  FOR    IHK  HEARTH 


York.  They  hud  lived  tor  )ears  in  apart- 
ments, and  were  quite  happy  until  the  chil- 
dren came,  and  then,  Mary  said,  she  had  to 
have  a  real  home  with  a  Hearth.  She 
couldn't  tell  her  children  fairy  stories  be- 
side a  steam  radiator,  and,  more  imjwrtant 
still,  she  wanted  them  to  sa\'  their  little 
j)rayers  at  her  knee  before  an  open  fire. 

So  the  house  was  built  and  became  a  home, 
because  thouj^httul  people  made  it.  The 
home  room  was  planned  to  last  forever  and 
ever,  the  walls  paneled  with  brown  oak,  with 
many  built-in  bookcases  as  a  logical  jxirt  of 


the  paneling.  Many  windows  flooded  the 
room  with  sunshine,  and  the  furniture  wxs 
comfortable  and  simple.  The  whole  room 
led  u[)  to  a  great  chimney-piece,  with  an  ojH-n 
fireplace  of  red  brick.  .At  right  angles  to 
the  chimney-j)icce  was  a  huge  settle,  roomy 
enough  for  comfort.  The  climax  was  the 
portrait  enclosed  in  the  j)aneling  above  the 
mantel-sh«  If,  a  chamiing  old  gentleman  with 
white  hair  and  ruddy  cheeLs  and  smihng  lips. 
Mary  confessed  to  me  that  she  lx)ug!)t 
him  I  She  said  she  did  n't  feel  that  a  h(«iie 
w  as  a  real  home  without  a  grandfather  or  a 


rdmuiiil  H.  (iilrhritt,  .ArrhiiMt. 

Tlii^   mnnlfl   i»  In   ihr  .liniiiK-nKitn  nt    Mr.   W.   W.   CJililifin'.    liouK    n    Si.    NUriiiii,    PluUdclphn.     Salt   lh«    «ir 
of  •limpliciiv  ci^'rx  l>v  <l>r  iinframcd  painliiiK- 

161 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


jjrcat-auiu  or  some  nice  old  person  who  could 
ttacli  tlif  tliildrcn  tin-  tilings  that  only  oKl 
peoplf  can  teach.  She  was  the  }Oung 
dauj^hter  ot  a  younger  daughter,  and  so  the 
family  portraits  had  gone  to  others,  and 
when  she  neeiletl  an  ancestor  she  calmly  went 
forth  and  bought  him.  She  calls  him  the 
General,  anti  Sir.  and  all  sorts  of  lovable 
names,  and  the  children  call  him  Uncle  Jim. 
They  are  in  the  secret  and  qviite  approve  ot 
him,  and  he — well,  Mary  declares  that  he 
positively  twinkles  with  joy  at  his  adopted 
famih'. 

"He  stands  for  dignity,  and  Sunday-quiet, 
and  time-to-live,"  sa\s  Mary;  'and  just  let 
me  tell  you  that  we  mothers  of  this  mechan- 
ical age  have  to  give  our  chiUlren  a  feeling 
for  these  things.  M}-  home  is  a  home, 
thanks  to  our  love  for  it,  and  the  Hearth, 
and  Uncle  Jim.  \N'e  have  open  fires  on  cool 
evenings  the  year  'round,  and  on  winter 
Sundays,  and  on  all  our  birthdajs  and  high 
days.  I  have  n't  a  piano  yet,  because  I  can't 
afford  that  and  logs  too,  but  at  this  stage  of 
the  game  open  fires  mean  more  to  children 
than  music.  We  have  story-tellings  and 
songs  and  beautiful  times  before  the  fire. 
The  children  hear  all  the  legends  and  stories 
we  heard  when  we  were  children,  and  they 
can  hang  up  their  own  stockings  before  a 
real  chimney  at  Christmas,  which  is  every 
child's  divine  right. 

"I  could  sing  tor  joy  at  the  development 
of  their  imaginations,  for  they  tell  me  amaz- 
ing stories  of  things  they  see  in  the  fiames. 
Can  you  imagine  a  child  telling  his  mother  a 
story  out  of  his  own  insides,  as  Billy  says, 
before  a  radiator"?  I  can't!  I  tell  you 
there  is  nothing  that  can  take  the  place  of 
the  Hearth." 

Now  Mar^■  is  what  I  call   a  real  home- 


maker.     She    feels   the   Spirit   back   of    the 
Tlung. 

I  suppose  that  to  the  mothers  who  Inive 
real  homes  this  chapter  seems  imnecessarily 
strong.  But  I  have  seen  so  many  false  man- 
tels, and  tilled-in  tireiilaces  and  hearthlcss 
houses  lately  that  I  am  alarmctl  at  the  trcnti 
of  it  all.  I  appreciate  the  high  cost  ot  liv- 
ing and  the  formidable  cost  of  coal  and 
wood,  but  we  can  alwajs  tind  a  way  to  enjoy 
the  things  we  very  much  desire.  The  very 
poor  have  no  hearths,  perhaps,  but  they  can 
make  the  kitchen  stove  a  substitute,  and  lind 
in  it  something  our  expensive  "false  man- 
tels" can  not  give;  something  to  gather 
around.  No  one  ever  had  a  desire  to  pull 
his  chair  up  to  a  false  mantel  or  a  radiator. 

A  living-room  without  a  tirejilace  is  un- 
satisfying, but  it  is  inrinitely  better  than  a 
room  that  is  dominated  by  a  false  mantel,  of 
the  kind  so  often  seen  in  apartment-houses, 
and  indeed  in  thousands  ot  private  houses. 
A  false  mantel  is  a  dreadtul  imitation  of  an 
honored  tradition.  It  is  a  mere  excrescence, 
with  no  grate  behind  the  elaborate  "bronze" 
tire-tront,  no  tlue,  no  excuse  for  being. 
The  jerry-builder  knows  that  traditions  die 
hard,  and  this  is  his  way  of  giving  you  a 
hearth. 

You  can  forgive  people  who  tolerate  one 
of  these  mantels  in  an  apartment,  because 
}ou  know  that  often  the  landlord  admires 
the  thing  and  refuses  to  allow  its  removal. 
But  how  can  any  man  tolerate  such  a  sham 
in  his  own  house V  Somehow,  one  feels  that 
a  man  will  be  honest  in  his  own  house,  even 
it  he  does  blink  at  shams  in  other  people's 
houses. 

Contrast  these  sham  mantels  with  the  big 
homelike  chimney-pieces  on  pages  152  and 
1  97.      Does  n't  the  one  with  the  settle  sug- 


162 


A  PLEA  FOR  THF.  HEAR!  H 


^!^\P 


In  this  remodeled   Colonial   house  tlie  huge  tirepiace  lias  Iiccm  |>rl■^cr^c^l  iiiiaci.     Sole  ihc  tt.i,, 

gest  a  pood  book  and  a  basket  of  apples  and  And    \et    I    think    there    will    always   br 

a  long  winter  evening^     Doesn't  the  other  lionus  where  the  hearth  will  In-  the  honored 

one — the  more  informal  brick  one,  with  its  center  of  things.     Even  in  New  York,  where 

useful  little  cupboards — suggest  real  warmth  the  cost  ot   living  is  felt  most  keenly,  and 

and  hospitality"^  liome-niaking  is  most  difficult.  I  know  many 

Grant<d   that  fuel    i>  a   luxur\  ;  couldn't  people    who    put     up    with     the     uuonvrn- 

you  j)rovide  an  open  fire  for  your  family  on  iences  of  old-fa.-<hitmed  apartments  that  tl>ry 

gala    occasions'!'      II<i\\     did    we    ever    ilare  may  have  tires  in  open  grates.     Old  Father 

eliminate  the  hearth  from  our  homes,  I  won-  Knickerboiker   provides  w«mhI    for  his  chil- 

dcrV     I  dare  say  the  day  will  come   when  dren  at  a  small  consideration — in  hi>  nmnic- 

some  one  will  invent  a  s\stem  of  illumiiia-  ipal    wtKnlyarils.     Surel\,    then   there   is  no 

tion  that  will  make  sunshine  unfashionable,  part  of  the  countr>  where  tuel  is  an  in)|H»>i- 

and  a  system  of  ventilation  that  will  result  ble  luxury. 

in  windowless  houses,  to  those  who  lose  all  Tlie  Frem h  h.ive  a  thrifty  nisfom  that  is 

the  s[)irit  of  home-making.  very  pleasant   for  iwople  who  have  a  little 

163 


THK  HONEST  HOUSE 


hrt-place  and  no  tuel  tor  it.  Tluy  save  all 
the  waste  i)aixT  and  dried  leaves  and  flowers, 
and  every  evening  make  it  into  a  "fagot." 
The  tagot  is  made  by  emptying  the  contents 
of  the  waste-baskets  upon  several  thicknesses 
of  newspaper,  rolling  up  the  paper  until  it 
becomes  a  "log,"  and  twisting  the  ends 
tightly.  Then  the  fagot  is  wrapped  with  a 
cord,  placed  in  the  lirej)lace,  and  a  light  is 
touched  to  each  end.  In  a  moment  there  is 
a  wondertul  tire. 

Try  it,  and  }ou  will  soon  become  a 
connoisseur  in  tagots,  and  discover  that 
orange-peel  makes  a  wondrous  blue  flame, 
and  that  laurel  leaves  crackle  delightfully 
and  that  for  special  occasions  a  few  chunks 
of  old  rotting  wood  will  give  a  flare  worthy 
of  a  Fourth-o"-Juh-  fireworks-maker. 

What  can  we  bring  into  our  homes  that 


will  give  the  beauty  and  cheer  of  an  open 
flre'^  Music  and  books  and  good  appetite 
and  sunshine  and  sound  sleep  and  clear  water 
— all  these  are  essential  luxuries  in  our 
homes,  but  the  sujircme  luxury  is  the  open 
fire  on  the  hearth. 

So  I  plead  for  one  real  tireplace,  as  big  or 
little  as  you  please,  and  an  occasional  fire  in 
it.  It  will  be  worth  an}-  sacrifice  you  may 
have  to  make  for  it.  Have  all  the  radiators 
}GU  need,  but  have  also  this  one  hearth, 
where  you  can  gather  your  children  around 
}ou  and  teach  them  the  things  the  hearth  has 
stood  for  for  hundreds  of  years :  a  place 
where  Christmas  is  Christmas,  where  stock- 
ings can  hang,  and  where,  in  the  long  j-ears 
to  follow,  the  children  may  come  in  their 
day-dreams,  and  bless  the  memor}-  of  the 
place  you  made  home. 


Harrie  T.  Lindeberg,  Architect. 
The   Boardman    Robinson    house   at    Forest    Hills,    Long    Island,    is    unusually    successful    in    its   suggestion    of    old- 
world   picturesqueness.     Note   the   unbroken    roof   surfaces,  the  plain   walls  and  the   ample  chimneys. 


164 


\^^y 


-■«s>?s..; 


•--  it  ;#*-«>""  "5^ 


CHAPTKU  XIX 


DETAILS  OF  IXTERIOH  DESIGN 

Jl^ST  as  windows,  doorways,  porches  is  the  idi-al  arranjicmrnt.     It  makes  for  pri- 

and  thimneys  determine   rlie  appear-  vaey,  obviates  draughts,  and  simplilifs  to  a 

anee  ot  the  exterior,  so  do  the  diini-  certain  extent  the  heatinj^  of  the  halls  into 

ne\pieces  and  their  mantels,   the  staircases,  which  it  opens.     Given  plenty  of  li;;ht  and 


headroom,  an  enclosed  staircxse  is  most  de- 
sirable. 

Of  course,  there  will  always  be  hiMises  in 
which  the  treatment  of  the  staircase  will  fol- 
low the  tratlitions:  Colonial  hoiise>  with  their 
witi(.  ionp  halls,  would  seem  queer  without 


doors,  and  the  lesser  details  such  as  hard- 
ware aiui  lighting  fixtures  add  to  or  iletract 
from  the  attractiveness  of  the  interior  of 
your  house. 

\\'e  have  considereci  some  of  the  architec- 
tural details  of  the  interior,  such  as  the  built- 
in  conveniences  that  are  a  part  ot  the  shell  ot  their  long  stairways  ot  white  spindles  and 
the  house,  but  there  are  so  many  things  still  mahogany  handrails.  Certain  houses  «it  the 
to  be  said  that  it  seems  hopeless  to  ilo  more  Knglish  t)  pe  will  always  invite  ojH-n  stair- 
than  count  them  off  on  our  fingers,  and  leave  ways  with  interesting  scrcenwork  ot  oak  tak- 
th(  ir  real  consideration  to  \<)u.  ing  the  place  of  spindles. 

The  design  of  the  staircase  is  almost  always  Stmly  the  staircas<-s  of   the  •x^Mxl  hotisrs 

a  stumbling  block.  If  the  staircase  is  in  evi-  ab«)ut  you.  Stujly  their  columns  and  |H»ts  in 
dence  at  all,  it  is  the  most  important  thing  the  same  spirit  in  which  you  examine  out-ot- 
in  sight.  If  \()u  don't  wish  it  to  dominate  d(H»r  columrLs  and  railings.  The  .same  prin- 
your  hall,  or  living-room,  you  can  k«-ep  it 
out  of  sight  by  having  it  go  straight  up  \tf- 
tween  two  walls.  Imleed,  in  a  small  house 
where  there  is  to  be  onlv  one  stairwav,  thi> 


ciples  apply  to  Kith.  It  would  b*-  |x»ssiblr 
to  go  into  great  derail,  bur  the  main  thing  lo 
remember  i^  that  the  usual  defects  lie  in  ovrr- 
ornamentation  of  the  stair|><»sts  and  balus- 


165 


THE  HONEST  HOISE 


trades.     OhsiTve   the   modest   detail   ot    tlie  in-:  and  sliding  doors.     Frtneh  doors  filled 

staircase  on  page  167.     It  is  a  lesson  in  sen-  with   small    panes   of   glass    are    deservedly 

sible  detail.     The  staircase  in  the  Colonial  popular,     because     they     protect     us     from 

hallway  shown  on  page  185  is  equally  good,  draughts  without  cutting  off  light  and  the 

but    of    an    entirely    different    tjpe.     Here  sense  of  s})ace  that  comes  from  long  vistas. 

there  is  a  gracious  quality  in  keeping  with  Provision  should  always  be  made  for  curtain- 

thc  broad  spaces  of  the  Colonial  hall.  ing  glass  doors,  however,  as  there  are  times 

A  staircase  coming  directly  into  the  living-  when  privacy  is  welcome  in  any  room. 

room  is  a  mistake,  unless  the  family  is  very  There   is   an   architectural   axiom,   "never 

small   indeed.     There  should  be  at  least  a  make  a  doorway  without  a  door."  which  is 

possibility  for  privacy,  even  if  it  be  obtained  often  violated,  and  occasional!)   w  irli  reason. 

li\  rlic  u^f  of  a  screen  or  a  curtain  cutting  off  Often   a   large  opening  between   two   small 

a  small  stairhall.      If  there  are  several  living-  rooms  is  a  great  improvement.     The  opening 

rooms,  this  is  not  so  important,  for  a  chance  ceases  to  be  a  doorwa)',  however,  when  it  is 

visitor  may  be  left  in  some  other  room  until  large  enough  to  be  of  real  service,  so  perhaps 

the  family  room  is  ready  for  him.  the   axiom   is   not  violated   after  all.     Cer- 

All  staircases,  whether  they  be  conspicu-  tainly    the   man}-    "open   doors"    of   certain 

ous  or  concealed,  should  have  easy  treads  and  houses,  openings  with  only  ffims)-  curtains  to 

should  be  reasonabl)   broad.      It  is  necessary  cut  off  noise  and  draughts,  are  a  nuisance, 

not  only  to  provide  for  people  with  eccentric  The   consideration    ot    the    chimney-piece 

headgear,  but  for  the  occasional  moving  ot  and   its  mantel  might  easily  fill  a  book,  so 

trunks  ami   furniture,   and  so  the  headroom  varied  are  the  possibilities  tor  good  and  evil 

should  be  more  than  ample.     Otherwise,  you  effects.     The  decorative  value  ot  the  chim- 

will  pay  for  it  with  badly  scarred  walls.  ney-piece  is  not  sufficiently  appreciated  b}' 

Ordinarily,   stairs   stained    in   dark   tones  most    home    makers.     The    cliinuiey    breast 

have  oak  treads   and   risers.     Where   white  should  be  treated  architecturalh',  as  a  part 


woodwork  is  usee!  the  handrail  and  treads  are 
usually  of  oak  or  mahogau} ,  and  the  spindles 
and  risers  of  white. 

Doors  are  of  great  importance,  architec- 


of  the  woodwork  of  the  room,  and  as  a  fit- 
ting trame  tor  the  center  of  interest — the 
hearth. 

There   are  more   dreadful   mantels   to   be 


turally,  ami  must  be  treated  accordingly.     In  seen   to-da}"   than   ever  before,   cheap   stock 

a  small  house  it  is  usually  best  to  have  all  the  mantels,    seemingly    designed    in    a    lunatic 

doors  ot   imitorm  size,  but  wherever  possi-  asylum,   are   turned  out  by   the   thousands. 

ble  it  is  advisable  to  place  closets  where  their  New  suburban  houses  are  tiooded  with  the 

doors  will   not  invite  chance  callers.     It   is  most    atrocious,    unstudied    mantels    imagi- 

very    embarrassing    to    open    several    closet  nable.     Again  the  word  of  caution  is,  play 

doors  when  you  are  trying  to  find  your  way  safe!     Use  only  the  simplest  motifs.     The 

out  ot  a  room.  tamiliar  mantel  found  in  so  man}'  Colonial 

Doors  tor  large  spaces  are  often  difficult  houses   is   an   excellent   one.     Such   mantels 

to  manage,  and  there  is  a  never  ending  dis-  are  shown  on  pages  161  and  183.     It  is  not 

cussion  as  to  the  merits  and  demerits  of  fold-  true  that  a  mantel  is  good  just  because  it  was 

166 


DETAILS  OF  IXIKKIOR  DKSIGX 


Edinuritl   H.  (iilrhritt,  Archiifcl. 
Nn  pnrt  nf  ilic   liitt-rlor  is  more  ditficull  to  design  than  tlic  !>iairca!>e.     Thiii  example,  lakeii   froin  j  huu>r  *l   ^  oik 
Harbor,   Maine,   is  inosl   commendable   for   its   simple   siraigliiforward    detail. 


huilr  in  Coloniiil  cl;iy>,  hut  it  is  sate  ti)  .say 
that  it  its  eloign  is  siiiiph'  it  will  provtr  ac- 
ceptabk'.  The  nu)re  complex  it  f:;ets.  the 
more  it  incor{)orates  columns  ot  unusual 
shape  ami  strange  supports,  the  more  likely 
is  it  that  you  .should  leave  it  alone. 

It  is  always  sate  to  avoid  ready-made 
mantels  that  have  superstructures  ot  mirrors 
and  shcUcs,  like  the  corner  what-not.  .\titr 
all.  the  chinm<-\ -piece  is  the  important  fiiin;_'. 
the  mantel  is  a  part  of  it.  The  ihiet  duty 
of  the  mantel  is  to  frame  plea>antl\  flu 
opening  for  the  tire. 

The  ihimnt  \-piece  that  projects  into  the 


room  .shoulil  have  a  certain  reserve,  an  a|>- 
[uarance  of  strength  and  ilignity.  and  thi> 
etfect  can  be  obtained  b\  the  simplest 
method,  by  builihng  a  rectangular  o|H-ning 
for  lire  and  paving  it  with  plain  bricks; 
by  carrying  tlw  franu-work — be  it  wtHxI.  t»r 
|)laster,  or  brii  k,  or  fib- — around  the  o|>rn- 
ing  ami  crowning  it  with  a  plain  tnantei- 
shelf  if  the  lintel  of  the  tirepla>  tlush 

with  the  walls  of  the  r«K»ni.  Tile  hr.mli  n«-rd 
not  project  into  the  ro«>m  more  than  sixteen 
inches  from  the  f.ice  ot  the  fireplace. 

I'he  space  Ix-tween  niantel-shelt  and  ceil- 
ing may  be  filled   in   with   paneling  if  the 


167 


THE  HONEST  HOISE 

dfiign  is  carried  to  the  cornice,  or  the  space  effect,  it  was  simpl)  toriiud  to  fit  around  a 
may  be  used  decoratively  for  a  mirror,  a  real  fire,  and  it  had  no  Indeous  overmantel. 
good  picture,  or  a  plaster  cast.  It  the  And,  turthemiore,  a  marble  mantel  was  to 
frame  of  the  fire  opening:  is  flush  with  the  its  owners  a  sort  ot  object  ot  art,  a  thinj: 
wall,  the  space  above  the  mantel-shelf  may  apart  from  the  woodwork,  ot  die  room. 
be  treated  as  a  part  of  the  wall,  and  the  White  painted  woodwork,  a  white  marble 
decoration  will  suggest  itself  when  }-ou  look  mantel,  and  a  (juaint  ^ilt-frameil  mirror  fill- 
through  \()ur  belongings  for  just  the  right  ing  the  wall-space  above  the  shelf — this 
jiicturc.  or  mirror,  or  whatever  seems  most  was  n't  an  undignified  combination.  The 
suitable.  marble  might  be  very  bad  trom  the  stand- 

Until   recentl}.   it  was  impossible  to  get  point  of  an  anhirect  or  a  .sculptor,  but  it  was 

tiles  for  fireplaces.     We  were  offered  thou-  at  least  dignified  in  effect, 

sands    of    ridiculous    little    dabs    of    white  There  are  jirincely  American  hoiLses  where 

cement  with   thin  colored  glazes  that  were  oltl  marble  and  stone  mantels  may  be  u.sed, 

sold  as  "tiles,"  but  they  are  libels.     These  but  these  mantels  are  really  works  of  art,  and 

fancy  little  tiles  are  a.sscxriated  with  cabinet  are  treated  as  such.     They  are  the  j^roduct 

mantels,  and  are  an  insult  to  an  honest  tile  of   master   sculptors,    and   are    perfectly    at 

maker.     There    are    three    factories    that    I  home     in     dark     paneled     rooms.     Lately, 

know  of  making  beautiful  tiles  at  reasonable  makers  of  cement  and  terra-cotta  have  copied 

prices,   tiles  that  are  good  enough   for  an}-  many  of  these  old  mantels,  but  no  matter 

house.     They  copy  the  fine  old  Dutch  and  how  good  the  copies  may  be,  they  are  out  of 

Spanish  and  English  tiles,  and  of  late  they  place  in  little  houses.     A  huge  drawing  room 

have  begun  copying  l^ersian  ones  that  are  ob-  or    hall    or    library    may    welcome    such    a 

jects   of   art   in   themselves.     If   you   can't  mantel,  but  in  a  small  room  it  would  be  an 

afford  such  tiles  as  these,  use  bricks  for  your  absurdity. 

fireplace    and    hearth.     AvoicI    fancy    brick.  The  Colonial  mantel,  however,  would  fit 

and  use  good  red  ones,  the  cruder  and  rougher  almost  any  room  where  white  or  cream  or 

the  better.  Srav'  woodwork  is  used,  or  it  would  be  good 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  mantel  is  in  brown  or  gray  stained  wood.     The  first 

a  structural  part  of  the  room,  and  should  be  principle  of  this  mantel   is  simplicity,   and 

made  of  the  same  wood  used  for  the  doors  the  square  panel  between  cornice  and  mantel- 

and  window  frames  and  so  forth.     It  is  not  shelf  offers  a  tempting  space  for  decoration, 

to  be  treated  as  a  thing  apart,  as  if  it  were  An  old  portrait  flanked  by  mahogany  candle- 

a  grand  piano  or  an  easy  chair.     A  mantel  sticks  would  be  suitable  for  it,  and  one  can 

of  oak,   introduced   into  a  room  of  walnut  imagine  a  quaint  circular  mirror  or  a  good 

woodwork,   is  in  a  distressing  position.     A  cast  being  equally  good.     Or,  if  you  liked, 

mantel  of  mahogany  in  a  brown-oak  room  is  you  could  leave  the  square  panel  to  its  own 

just  as  mistaken.  decorative  devices.     I  recall  one  mantel  of 

The  old-fashioned  marble  mantel  was  not  white  painted  wood  with  the  space  between 
so  bad  as  the  modern  cabinet  mantel,  be-  mantel  and  ceiling  filled  with  a  white  panel- 
cause,  despite  its  bleakness  and  its  chilling  ing.     The  center  panel  was  framed  in  a  slen- 

168 


DETAILS  OF  INTERIOR  DESICiN 


:tA^ 


\\.  \aii   Burrn   MaKooiKlc  Arrhiiccl. 

The   CJanlcner's   Lodge   on   the  estate  of    Franklin    Miirph\,    W'endham,    New    Jcr»c>.      The    ilniKii    oi    \\\\t    houw, 

which   in   j;cneral    i>   excellent,    would    be   improved,    perha|»,   by  the  oiniMion  of  the  horizontal  band  on  the  Kible  end. 

di  r  molding.    Lighting  fixtures  of  brass  wtrc     tlit-  ratttr>,  ami  on  tin-  slab  ot  granite  that 
placed  at  the  extreme  edge  of  the  molding,      tornuil  the  niantel-shelt  w;ls  a  row  ot  cut- 
and  the  only  effort  at  decoration  was  a  blue     glass  vases!     I   tVIt  sorry  tor  the  jxx»r,  in- 
Chinese  vase  of  field  grasses  on  the  mantel-     suited  old  chimney-pi«Tr. 
shelf.  Einall),  tlitrr  i>  the  <juestion  ot  hardware 

The  bungalow  is  responsible  for  the  rhini-  ami  lighting  h.vtures.  Hardware  is  an  al- 
ney-jiieces  made  of  field  stone,  or  rough  most  hopeless  subject.  The  l>est  you  can  <\o 
brick,      that     are     omnipresent     nowadays,     is  to  select  the  very  sim[)lest  door  handles 

anil  hinges  otfereil  you.  American  makers 
h,i\c  not  yet  gone  in  for  carctui  design  in 
h.irdware.  mt)re  "s  the  |>ity.  'Hie  French 
anil  Englisli  hanlwarf  shown  at  the  Metro- 
mass  of  stones  in  a  room  where  puli>hed  politan  Museum  >hould  Ix-  an  inspiration  to 
furniture  ami  silk  curtains  are  useilV  our  designers,   but   the  designers   await   the 

Recentl)  I  saw  a  fireplace  that  would  hoKl  public  demaml,  and  |K-ople  who  have  opcnetl 
a  five-foot  log,  with  the  chimney-piece  tower-  their  eyes  to  the  badn«-ss  ot  many  det.iils 
ing  to  the  rooftree  and  disappearing  through     such   as   lighting   fixtures   are   -'i"     •-"•••" 

169 


Such  a  chinmey-piece  is  at  home  in  a  real 
bungalow  or  in  a  mountain  camp,  ulnrc 
rafters  ami  beams  arc  cxpoMd.  bur  c;ui  vnu 
imagine    anvthinir    worse    than    a    towering 


THE  HONES'l    HOISE 


ami  let  it  j^o  at  that. 


with  spun-brass  door-knobs  and  hinges  and     can  use  are  tccble  compared  to  the  lifiht  of 
forth.      Bu\-    the   simplest   thinp   offered     out-of-doors,  and  the  rooms  we  live  in  are  too 

small  to  admit  much  light.  We  have  to  face 
this  difficulty,  to  look  at  the  source  of  light, 
whether  we  want  to  or  not.  Out-of-doors, 
in  the  full  sunlight,  the  sun  is  so  tar  away 
and  yet  it  is  so  brilliant  that  we  don't  have 
to  look  at  it.  In  fact,  we  can"t  look  at  it  for 
more  tlian  a  moment,  or  we  become  blinded. 

\N'c  are  not  blinded  by  the  intense  glare  of 
the  lights  in  our  rooms,  but  we  are  greatly 
annoyed  when  the  lights  are  so  placed  that 
they  shine  in  our  e}es.  One  of  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  good  lighting  is  to  use  that  method 
of  lighting  which  will  adequately  illumine 
our  rooms,  and  to  select  fixtures  that  will  veil 
the  source  of  the  light  as  much  as  possible. 

In  recent  years  the  sjstem  of  lighting 
called  "indirect"  has  come  into  common  use. 
In  its  simplest  terms  it  means  only  this:  you 
place  your  lights  (the  incandescent  bulbs)  in 
a  bowl  ami  liang  this  bowl  from  the  ceiling. 
The  light  is  thrown  up  to  the  ceiling  and  re- 
flected back  again  to  the  walls  and  f^oor  of 
the  room.  It  this  bowl  is  opaque,  this 
method  is  called  "indirect."  If  translucent, 
so  that  the  bowl  itself  is  softly  lit,  it  is  called 
"semi-indirect."  In  this  way  the  source  of 
light,  that  is,  the  brilliant  incandescent  bulbs, 
is  hidden. 

For  this  system  it  is  imperative  that  the 
ceiling  be  cream  or  white,  so  as  to  reflect  the 
light  to  the  greatest  advantage.  Moreover, 
the  walls  should  be  fairly  light  in  tone.  If 
}our  ceiling  is  dark  in  color,  you  will  succeed 
in  lighting  only  the  ceiling,  and  nothing 
else. 

The  light  obtained  from  indirect  lighting 
is  diffused,  and  is  good  only  for  general  il- 
lumination. It  should  be  supplemented  by 
special    wall    or   basel^oard   fixtures   conven- 


so 
you 

Lighting  fixtures  are  being  improved 
rapidl>.  It  is  possible  to  buy  reproductions 
of  most  of  the  good  ones  from  France  and 
England  now,  if  aou  are  very  judicious  in 
your  selections  and  if  Nour  [nirse  is  long. 

It  is  always  the  tendency  to  underrate  the 
expenses  of  lighting  fixtures,  when  the  plans 
of  the  house  are  being  made.  One  hundred 
dollars  seems  a  liberal  apportionment  for  a 
small  house  of,  say,  seven  rooms.  But  there 
are  unexpected  difficulties.  It  seems  very 
simple  to  go  forth  and  buy  lighting  fixtures 
— until  you  see  the  innumerable  varieties  of- 
fered you.  And  the  good  ones  are  as  rare  as 
the  proverbial  needle  in  the  haystack.  You 
must  determine  whether  ceiling  or  side  lights 
are  best,  and  whether  direct  or  indirect  lights 
will  best  fill  your  needs.  Your  architect 
will  probabi}-  decide  much  of  tliis  for  you 
before  }ou  go  forth  to  bu}-,  but  the  chief 
difficulties  and  advantages  may  be  consid- 
ered here. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  illumination  com- 
monl}-  in  use  to-day.  They  are  called  direct 
and  indirect  lighting.  By  "direct"  lighting 
I  mean  that  the  light  shines  directly  in  the 
room,  so  that  you  see  it.  For  example, 
when  \ ou  are  out-of-doors  with  the  sun  shin- 
ing overhead  you  are  enjoying  the  best  kind 
of  "direct"  lighting.  When  you  are  in  the 
house,  let  us  say  in  a  room  on  the  north  side, 
where  the  sunlight  does  not  reach,  you  are 
enjoying  diffused  lighting.  The  source  of 
light  is  not  visible,  and  we  call  this  indirect, 
or  semi-indirect,  lighting. 

Now  in  our  houses  we  have  to  use  feeble 
imitations  of  the  sun.  We  use,  most  of  us. 
electric  light.     Even  the  strongest  lights  we 


170 


DETAILS  OK  IXIKKIOlt  DESIGN 


A  light  in  the  center  of  the  room,  at  the  level  of  the  e>e, 
blinds  one  to  the  ^ize  of  ihc  room. 

iently  located,  so  that  when  a  brilliant  con- 
centrated light  is  ncccssat}  lamps  may  be 
used. 

Having  accepted  as  an  axiom  of  gooil 
lightin;,'  rhar  the  source  of  light  shouKI  bf 
veiled  as  nnich  as  is  consistent  with  obtain- 
ing good  lighting,  the  next  important  thing 
is  to  place  the  lights  to  go(xI  advantage.  In 
a  large  room  with  a  high  ceiling  tiu-  problem 
is  much  less  diHiciilt  than  in  a  small  room. 
By  .small  I  mean  the  ordinary  dining-r(M)m  or 
living-room  such  as  is  touml  in  a  small  liwcll- 
ing  house,  a  room  perhaps  fifteen  by  twent\ 
feet  in  ana  ami  nine  teet  high. 

In  general  it  is  a  most  unfortunate  thing 


to  use  a  center  light  in  a  small  room  of  this 
kind.  This  center  light  is  almost  sure  to 
take  a  jjosition  about  :ls  high  as  a  man's  head, 
and  consetjuently  the  li;;ht  of  the  fixture  it- 
self is  always  in  one's  eye.  This  means  that 
the  size  of  the  visible  rcxMti  ap|)ears  dimin- 
ished. Now  you  want  to  make  the  nnim 
look  as  large  as  possible,  and  with  a  light 
in  the  center  this  object  is  defeated,  b<-cau.xr 
}()u  never  can  look  past  the  light.  If  the 
light  is  vet}-  bright,  you  see  the  other  side  of 
the  room  ver}-  imperfectly. 

On  the  other  haml,  if  the  room  is  lighted 
b\  side  lights,  or  bracket  light.s,  you  see  all 
parts  of  the  r(X)m  clearly,  and  the  light  is 


lU  -4    .  ■?•  wTI  ■ 


l.inhi*  Ji»powl  aloiitj  ihe  wallt  ijive  a  tntiu\  eircl. 


l/I 


THK  HONKS r  HOUSE 


more  agret-ably  diffusfd.  It  is  advisable  to 
have  as  man)-  wall  lights  as  possible,  and  to 
use  center  lights  only  in  such  places  as  the 
kitchen,  where  overhead  light  is  really  valua- 
ble. 

In  using  wall-lights  you  can  employ  semi- 
indirect  lighting,  screening  the  incandescent 
light  with  a  shade  ot  some  sort.  The  best 
shades  arc  those  made  ot  silk.  There  are 
man\  tancitul  t}pes  of  shades  made  of  differ- 
ent materials,  such  as  metal,  leather,  glass, 
and  parchment.  Often  the)  are  decorated  by 
hand-painted  designs,  but  they  are  nearly 
always  too  dark  or  too  gaudy,  or  too  some- 
thing. The  most  successful  shades  are  of 
silk.  When  you  cannot  get  silk,  use  paper; 
those  made  of  the  yellow  silks  and  the  yellow 
papers  are  most  attractive.  The  glass  shades 
made  of  gaudy  stained  glass  are  usually  ut- 
terly offensive;  the  colors  are  garish  and 
-crude. 

Choose  your  fixtures  always  lor  their  sim- 
plicity. Choose  your  colors  always  for  their 
delicacy  and  their  harmony  of  combination. 
The  reason  that  yellow  is  an  advisable  color 
is  because  it  looks  well  under  ordinary  con- 
-ditions  of  daylight  as  well  as  when  the  elec- 
tric light  is  turned  on. 

Avoid  very  ornamental  fixtures — at  least 
till  you  have  made  a  study  of  ornament. 
Unless  you  feel  that  your  knowledge  of  the 
forms  employed  in  design  is  considerable, 
play  safe.  Choose  the  simplest  thing  that 
you  can  find.  In  doing  this  you  will  never 
lay  yourself  open  to  the  charge  of  vul- 
garity   in    your    taste.     Remember    that    in 


these  matters  you  have  to  rely  on  }our  own 
judgment. 

Curiously  enough,  )ou  will  rind  the  sim- 
plest fixtures  are  either  very  cheap  or  verj' 
expensive.  All  the  ornate  fixtures  are  priced 
at  medium  low  or  medium  high  figures. 
Have  the  courage  of  your  taste  and  demand 
the  least  exjiensive  modern  fixtures,  if  you 
can't  afford  the  reproduction  of  the  severely 
fine  old  ones.  Often  a  three  dollar  fixture 
that  is  commonplace  in  spun  brass  is  excel- 
lent in  a  pewter  or  bronze  finish,  and  the  cost 
is  no  more. 

No  matter  how  good  your  lighting  fixtures 
ma}^  be,  you  will  need  a  certain  number  of 
special  lights,  lamps  or  tall  c^mdlesticks,  for 
reading.  If  your  supply  of  electricity  is 
stable,  it  is  sensible  to  have  a  few  base  plugs 
in  each  room  in  the  house,  so  that  a  reading 
lamp  may  be  attached  at  will.  If  your  elec- 
tric lights  have  a  habit  of  failing  you  at  in- 
opportune times,  oil  lamps  and  real  candles 
are  necessar}-.  The  principles  of  decoration 
are  the  same:  the  shade  should  never  be  too 
heavy  for  the  lamp;  the  lamp  itself  should 
never  be  over-ornamented;  a  candlestick 
should  be  graceful,  with  a  shade  that  has 
some  relation  to  it,  and  so  on. 

Beware  of  too  great  a  flood  of  light.  It 
is  very  trying  to  most  people's  eyes.  Learn 
to  enjoy  shadows.  Have  your  wall  lights  so 
screened  that  they  will  give  you  an  even  dif- 
fused light  for  ordinan,'  occasions,  and  have 
special  lights  when  intensity  is  desired.  The 
comfort  you  will  enjoy  will  repay  you  for 
your  painstaking  work. 


172 


CHAl'lIll  XX 
TiiF.  TKADiiioN  ()]■  WOOD  rwr.i.iNf; 


WV.  ma}'  borrow  ideas  from  the 
I'uropean  and  the  Oriental  tor 
the  small  <'lepancies  of  our 
houses,  hut  tor  the  substantial  thin<;s  we  de- 
pend on  the  Enfjlish  tradition.  WC  may 
teel  ourseKcs  (juitc  >u))(ri<>r  to  (,ur  l''n^lish 
nei^'hbors  in  man}'  thin^^s,  hut  we  nuist  ad- 
mit that  when  it  comes  to  buildinfj  a  home 
the  Englishman  builds  best;  because  he 
places  his  family  first,  ami  determines  to 
make  a  house  that  will  be  home  to  his  family 
for  generations.  We  build  small  houses,  or 
buy  them,  and  then  when  we  can  "afFord" 
if  w'c  liu\  hig;_'(T  ono.  and  on  and  on  and  on  I 
Not  all  of  us,  hut  an  appalling  number  of 
us  look  u|)on  our  homes  as  temporary  stop- 
jiing  places  en  route  to  a  vague  affluence. 
\\v  do  most  things  very  much  better  than  we 
do  our  houses. 

We  think  of  the  things  that  make  old 
English  (a>tles  and  manor-houses  ilistin- 
guished  for  their  beaut\  as  being  remote 
from  our  |)ossibilities.  Ihc  >uprrb  oak  fur- 
niture, the  historic  paneling,  mellow  with 
age  and  hard  usage,  are  not  for  the  like-^  of 

1 


us!  Ami  yet,  the  humblest  Tudor  fami- 
houses  that  are  left  have  the  same  dignified 
paneling,  the  same  well-built  furniture,  made 
b}  the  hands  ot  the  ignorant  themselves. 
\\  <  asMTt  that  we  are  the  most  "etticient," 
the  most  "successful"  people  in  the  uorKl. 
and  }et  with  all  our  ellicienc\  we  can  not 
embellish  the  interior  of  our  hmises  with  our 
hamis.  We  cannot  build  a  joint  stool,  or 
])lan  a  panel  wall.  In  sharix-ning  our  wits 
we  ha\<-  forgotten  Im)w  to  use  our  hamls. 
The  unlettered  peasant  can  prtnluce  tumi- 
ture  that  will  last  for  hundreds  of  years,  hut 
the  larefully  educated  son  of  .\merica  is  un- 
able to  jnit  up  a  kitchen  shelf  for  his  mother. 
Now  this  matter  of  |)aneling.  It  .s<-niis 
expensive  ami  remot<-  to  most  of  you,  and 
yet  it  is  witliin  the  means  of  the  aver.igr 
man  who  builds  a  house.  Of  course,  the 
ct)st  of  paneling  varies  witli  the  Imality.  hut 
machin<-made  lumber  has  lex>ened  tl>e  cost 
«'ver\  v.here.  There  are  few  sections  in 
.\merica  where  there  is  not  plenty  of  lumber 
available  at  reasonable  priiY>.  Exixpt  in 
rhi-  liesert  country  t)t  the  S4«ithwr>t,  thrrr  arc 
73 


THE  HONKSr  HOL'SE 


dii/fiis  i)t  natixf  xmxhIs  to  be  had  in  all  U>- 
calitifs  that  are  suitable  tor  paneling:.  The 
country  is  full  ot  little  sawmills  where  you 
can  have  your  lumber  finished  to  order,  ami 
it  would  be  the  simplest  thing  in  the  worUi 
for  a  man  to  plan  paneled  walls  for  one  ot 
the  important  rooms  of  his  house — the  hall, 
stairway,  living-room,  dining-room — which 
could  be  executed  by  any  carpenter.  Once 
paneled,  it  will  last  forever.  There  will  be 
no  after  cost. 

The  trouble  with  us  is  we  have  not  learned 
to  look  about  us,  to  utilize  the  materials 
nearest  us.  We  have  so  many  beautitul 
woods — ash,  oak,  elm,  birch,  maple,  poplar, 
Aellow  and  white  pine,  chestnut,  cypress, 
cherr\-,  walnut,  the  California  redwood,  aiul 
other  local  woods,  all  suitable  for  interior 
woodwork.  The  English  ideal  of  paneling 
is  oak,  but  certainly  many  other  coarse- 
grained woods  are  ver\'  beautiful  ^\  hen  prop- 
erly stained  and  waxed  New  woods  have 
an  unplensant  rawness,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion ot  a  tew  of  the  more  expensive  woods 
(notably  walnut  and  cherrj')  they  should  be 
stained  before  being  waxed.  Even  the 
woods  of  the  most  beautiful  grain  and  color 
are  improved  by  an  application  of  a  light 
stain,  because  a  stain  brings  out  the  lights  and 
shadows  of  the  grain  as  nothing  else  can. 

We  have  seen  so  many  houses  with  wood- 
work of  yellow  pine  covered  with  a  thick 
coat  of  shellac  and  then  a  coat  of  varnish, 
ap[)lied  directly  to  the  raw  wood.  The  re- 
sult is  a  hideous,  cheap,  glaring  and  glassy 
wood.  We  have  seen  other  houses  which 
had  trim  paneling  of  the  same  wood  with  a 
little  brown  stain  rubbed  in,  and  then  an 
application  of  black  wax,  and  the  effect  was 
as  good  as  an  English  oak  paneling.  Hard- 
wood should  always  be  waxed,   never  var- 


nished. The  glare  of  the  varnish  kills  the 
sott  mellow  (juality  of  the  wood. 

In  old  England,  before  paneling  was  used, 
\\all>  were  rough  and  primitive  masses  of 
stone  and  mortar,  hung  with  arras  and  tapes- 
tries and  leather  to  keep  out  the  cold.  The 
tirst  paneling  (and  indeed  much  of  modern 
English  paneling)  was  hand-cut  and  carved, 
the  result  of  great  labor  and  thought  and 
nicety  of  workmanship.  The  paneling  of  a 
tamih;  was  handed  down  in  the  wills,  along 
with  the  plate  and  the  tapestries.  If  the 
family  moved  to  another  home,  the  paneling 
was  moved  too. 

Paneling  began  as  a  wainscot  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  wall,  with  the  heavy  hangings 
above  it,  and  as  the  beaut}"  of  cleanliness  and 
comfort  became  appreciated  the  loose  hang- 
ings were  removed  and  used  as  isolated  dec- 
orations, and  the  walls  were  lined  with 
carved  oblongs  of  wood  to  the  line  of  the 
ceiling,  or  to  the  line  of  a  frieze.  It  is  said 
that  Henry  III  was  the  first  king  to  use 
{)aneling,  and  he  embellished  the  wood  with 
gay  colors  and  gold.  From  this  painted  pan- 
eling to  the  simple  rectagonals  of  oak  of 
Elizabeth's  time  is  a  great  jump,  and  many 
beautiful  and  elaborate  patterns  of  the  in- 
tervening periods  are  still  in  evidence. 

The  Elizabethan  paneling  might  be  called 
the  standard  English  paneling,  because  it  is 
to  be  found  in  thousands  of  English  houses, 
old  and  new.  The  wall  is  made  up  of 
rather  small  rectagonal  panels,  framed  with 
a  flat  and  narrow  molding.  On  page  1 76 
I  am  giving  a  working  drawing  of  this  panel- 
ing, with  approximate  dimensions.  Some- 
times the  oblong  is  larger,  and  sometimes 
smaller,  but  whether  it  be  found  in  Powis 
Castle  or  an  humble  farmhouse  the  propor- 
tions of  the  panels  are  much  the  same. 


174 


THE  TRADITIOX  C)I-   WOOD  PANKLINC, 


I'Jmuful  K.  (filchr'iti,  Arrh'iim. 

An  effective  example   of   fiinnnl    interior  ilesipti.     It   shows  ilic  liallway   Irailiii);   m  ilie  ilininK-rouin  in   i   huuw   at 
St.   Marlins,    Pliiiaiielphia. 

I  have  seen  this  parrcrn  iiscil  in  ever  x)  lioanl  ;inil  wotui  when  the  wall  was  to  In- 
many  small  houses  hitelw  ami  ir  i>  always  staineil,  but  when  it  is  to  \m-  painted  ereani 
f^ood,  whether  ir  be  staineil  brown  or  ^ray  or  white  or  ^'ra\  what  liitfereme  d(>«-<  it  niakeY 
or  painted  cream  or  white.  I  have  .seen  a  \\  liite  painted  panelin;;  i^  a  jH-rteet  l>aek- 
room  with  the  pattern  on  a  foundation  ot  ;,'round  for  furniture  of  wimhIs  of  fine  j;rain 
jxilp  board,  the  oblong's  franietl  with  two  — walnut,  maho;:any,  rosewtHkl.  and  so 
and  one-half-inch  strips  of  wooil,  the  whole  forth.  The  tir>t  vopie  of  white  panehn;; 
iniinted  white.  This,  of  eour.se,  reiiueeil  the  wa.s  in  tiu-  time  «)t  Oueen  Anne,  when  imiih 
cost  of  panel in{^  to  a  nominal  ti;,'ure,  ami  the  of  the  heavy  oak  furniture  j;avr  way  to  the 
effect  was  very  j,'ooii.  .Some  one  may  .ir;:ue  defiant  new  wchxIs,  and  it  Ixranic  ncc«-s.sar)'  to 
that  such  a  use  of  pulp  lioarii  is  not  hone>t.  hiul  a  new  hackf,'round.  Oh\iou>ly.  oak  pan- 
The  chief  use  of  i>anelin^'  is  to  ^zive  the  elin;;  belon;:ed  to  «iak  furniture,  ami  m>  white 
walls  of  a  room  ili^mity  ami  beautv.  I  paint  was  applied  tc»  panehn;:  of  chrapcr 
should  not  advocate  the  combination  of  pulp  wihhIs,   and  was  tiuite  in  keeping  with  the 

^7^ 


THE  HOXESl    HOUSE 


•Sc/izs  of  '        „.,^     , 

kicA — rrr — .j —       j|i..  ^N^v^ 


The  important  things  to  remember  in  designing  a  pan- 
eled wall  are: — the  shape  of  the  panels  and  the  widths  of 
the  stiles  between.  The  panels  should  have  a  width  about 
two-thirds  their  height,  and  the  stiles  should  not  be,  in 
general,  over  three   inches  wide. 

satiny  furniture  and  the-  soft  damasks.  The 
crude  tapestries  and  the  sturdy  oak  furniture 
and  the  velvety  brown  of  oak  paneling  is 
first  in  every  Englishman's  favor,  however, 
and  always  will  be. 

The  linen-fold  pattern  is  as  well  known 
as  the  plain  rectangular  jianel,  but  the  old 
linen-fold  work  was  always  done  by  hand, 
when  every  man  was  his  own  carpenter,  archi- 
tect, and  furniture  maker,  and  now  it  is  so 
expensive  that  it  is  seen  only  in  the  more 
costly  houses.  Certain  English  firms  sup- 
ply the  linen-fold  paneling  carved  by  hand, 
but  it  costs  about  two  dollars  a  square  foot. 
The  same  firms  supply  a  plain  rectangular 


paneling  at  about  ritty  cents  a  square  foot. 
You  ma}  now  appreciate  our  advantage  over 
the  Englishman,  for  we  can  panel  our  walls 
at  a  fraction  of  this  amount.  I  have  seen 
recently  a  Colonial  hall,  long  and  wide  and 
higii  of  ceiling,  [laneled  in  white  rectagonals 
for  twenty  dollars!  OKI  wood  and  home 
labor  made  this  possible. 

The  linen  fold  is  not  available  for  many 
of  us  Americans,  but  it  is  full  of  suggestion 
to  the  man  who  likes  to  use  his  tools.  I 
saw  a  beautiful  oak  chest  made  up  of  squares 
carved  in  the  linen-fold  manner,  built  by  a 
young  student  of  a  technical  school.  An 
over-mantel  made  of  .small  linen-told  panels 
is  also  very  beautiful,  and  easy  of  accom- 
plishment. 

In  a  house  recently  built  on  Long  Island 
there  is  an  enormous  living-room  paneled  in 
chestnut.  Ordinarily  chestnut  is  expensive, 
but  in  the  localities  where  the  chestnut  trees 
are  dying,  the  lumber  can  be  bought  for  very 
little,  and  these  people  were  wise  enough  to 
seize  this  opportunit}*.  Chestnut  has  a  won- 
derful rosy  tone  in  its  natural  state,  and  a 
soft,  gray  stain  has  been  rubbed  into  the  pan- 
eling, showing  rosy  lights. 

There  is  a  house  in  Boston  in  which  the 
huge  living-hall  is  paneled  with  cypress,  an 
upright  paneling  ot  broad  boards  running 
from  the  baseboard  to  the  frieze  line.  Nar- 
row boards  ot  the  same  wood  are  applied 
where  the  broad  boards  meet,  just  as  the  nar- 
row boards  are  applied  to  the  rectangular  pan- 
eling, except  in  the  upright  paneling  they  run 
straight  from  the  baseboard  to  frieze  line, 
where  they  are  finished  with  a  projecting 
molding  of  the  same  wood.  This  cypress 
paneling  had  a  little  brown  stain  rubbed  in 
and  was  then  waxed,  and  the  effect  is  very 
soft  and  mellow. 


1-6 


THE  TRADITION  OF  WOOD  PANKLING 


An  unusual  farmhouse  paneling  composed 
of  old  pew  doors  came  to  mj-  attention  re- 
cently. Only  a  little  while  ago,  it  seems, 
the  old  village  meeting-house  was  torn  down, 
and  ot  course  the  old  lumber  went  for  a  son". 

o 

The  owner  of  this  farmhouse,  who  had  the 
seeing  eye,  bought  all  the  pew  doors  and 
paneled  his  dining-room  with  them.  The 
dining-room  has  quaint  corner  cupboards, 
also,  and  the  effect  of  the  diamond  panes 
and  the  graceful  white  panels  is  very  pleas- 
ant. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  old  New 
England  farmhouses  that  hat!  at  least  one 
wall,  usually  the  chimney  wall,  made  up  of 
white  painted  wood  [)aneling,  and  the  other 
three  walls  plastentl  and  papcretl.  This 
treatment  is  always  pleasing  in  an  old  house, 
but  it  would  be  mistaken  in  a  new  one,  un- 
less the  new  one  happened  to  be  a  replica 
built  to  please  some  lover  of  quaint  old  cot- 
tages. 

In  Westport,  Connecticut,  there  is  a  colony 
of  artists  who  have  bought  old  farmhouses 
and  remodeled  them,  keeping  the  open  tire- 


[)laces  and  big  timbers  and  beams,  but  adding 
many  modern  conv<niences — sleeping  jHirches 
and  hardwood  Hoors.  and  adequate  heating 
systems. 

Most  of  the  houses  are  a  hundred  years 
old,  or  tlu  nabouts,  and  have  heavily  b<-amrd 
ceilings,  and  that  of  course  invited  paneling. 
I  wish  you  could  see  those  paneled  dining- 
rooms — all  planned  b\  the  artists  them- 
selves, and  executed  b\  kaal  workmen.  The 
walls  of  one  charming  dining-room  have  a 
white  painted  paneling  of  an  upright  de>ign, 
similar  to  the  one  shown  on  tliis  page.  This 
paneling  is  finished  at  the  top  with  a  molding 
broad  enough  to  be  used  as  a  shelf,  which 
is  just  the  place  for  a  collection  of  Colonial 
things — pewter  and  bra.ss,  and  such — that  are 
in  keeping  with  the  room. 

.Another  house  has  a  low-ceiled  duuug- 
room  with  most  interesting  w(H)dwork.  This 
house  was  built  in  17^0,  and  the  new  owner 
is  very  proud  of  his  huge  brown  beams.  The 
room  is  paneled  with  cypress  of  a  brown 
tone.  One  whole  wall  is  given  up  to  two 
big  china-closets,  with  a  d(X)r  Ixtween.     .\n- 


Hfre  a  simple  rectangular  paneling  in  brown  oak  is  usnl  elfccii*cl>  in  cunncdioii  wiili  ilw  ilnglith  bay  window. 

»77 


IHK  HONKSr  HOl'SE 


otlur  wall  is  broken  by  the  chinincy-piece, 
and  a  third  by  a  glass  dcK)r  which  kails  to 
the  sun- room. 

The  space  between  the  top  ot  the  ])an(ling 
ant!  the  ceiling  of  the  fourth  wall  is  rilled 
with  a  row  ot  little  casement  windows,  about 
fourteen  inches  deep.  In  the  center  of  the 
wall,  just  opposite  the  fireplace,  the  panels 
are  recessed  to  make  room  for  a  long  radia- 
tor, and  in  the  space  left  between  the  top  ot 
the  radiator  and  the  top  of  the  paneling, 
about  thirty  inches,  are  Iniilt  two  long  shelves 
which  ma}-  be  used  as  warming-shelves,  but 
usually  hold  [)itchers  and  tea  things. 

A  soft-toned  curtain  hangs  just  under  the 
lower  shelf,  hiding  the  radiator,  and  the 
effect  suggests  recessed  bookshelves.  So 
much  of  the  wall  space  of  this  room  is  filled 
with  the  cupboards,  radiator  space,  windows, 
doors,  and  mantel,  that  very  little  paneling 
was  required. 

These  old  farmhouses  often  have  paneled 
walls  in  the  most  unexpected  places.  Often 
three  outside  walls  of  a  long  room  are  plas- 
tered, and  the  fourth  wall — that  leading 
into  another  room  or  a  hallwa)' — is  made 
up  of  oblongs  of  wood,  usually  painted 
white. 

The  stairs  are  finished  with  an  upright 
p)aneling  that  creeps  up,  one  board  at  a  time, 
like  the  treads,  and  now  and  then  you  will 
find  little  cupboards  and  cabinets  hidden  in 
these  stair-panels.  The  paneling  be.side  the 
chimney-piece  usualh'  hid  a  cupboard,  cor- 
responding to  the  oven  on  the  other  side. 
That  is  one  of  the  fascinating  things  about 
wood-[)aneling — it  invites  secret  cupboards 
or  patent   ones,    little   cabinets   for   a   few 


treasures  or  big  cupboards  for  magazines  and 
books  and  smoking  things. 

There  are  so  many  excellent  stains  and 
wood-d)es  and  wax-oils  to  be  had  now.  ) ou 
can  experiment  on  a  board  of  )our  chosen 
wcxni. 

Oak  turniture  ma)  be  treated  in  a  do/en 
ditferent  wa}s.  from  the  soft  grayish  stain  to 
the  black-brown,  but  if  your  woodwork  has  a 
brown  tone,  light  or  dark,  and  a  dull  waxed 
finish,  you  need  not  worr\  about  the  har- 
mon) .  The  many  shades  of  gra\-  and  brown 
are  best,  usually,  but  in  a  bungalow  an  up- 
right paneling  might  be  stained  one  of  the 
man}-  wood  greens.  If  jou  are  to  use  ma- 
hogany or  such  fine-grained  furniture,  your 
paneling  may  be  stained  a  soft  gray,  or 
painted  cream  or  white. 

There  is  another  method  of  paneling  that 
is  much  used  in  modern  American  drawing- 
rooms,  indeed  wherever  fine  French  furniture 
is  to  be  used.  This  paneling  comes  to  us 
from  France,  and  Miss  Elsie  de  Wolfe  has 
been  largely  responsible  for  its  vogue  in 
America.  The  French  method  breaks  the 
walls  of  a  room  into  a  series  of  large  and 
graceful  panels  by  the  use  of  narrow  mold- 
ings applied  direct!)'  to  the  plaster.  The 
plaster,  it  goes  without  saying,  must  be 
good.  If  it  has  n't  been  done  by  a  man  who 
knows  his  business,  it  will  crack,  and  that 
spoils  everything.  The  wcxidwork  and  the 
moldings  ot  a  room  paneled  in  this  manner 
are  painted  a  faint  shade  lighter  or  darker 
than  the  walls.  Cream,  ivor}-  white,  putty- 
color,  and  French  gray  are  the  colors  used, 
and  the  [laint  is  invariably  flat,  affording  a 
suave  background  to  elegant  furniture. 


176 


"   -c. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  DKCOKAl  ION   Ol    WALLS 


THE  fundamental  principle  of  mural 
liecoration  is:  Walls  arc  back- 
grounds. Keep  that  in  mind  and 
you  cannot  go  far  wrong.  The  surface  of 
the  wall  is  supposed  to  be  flat,  and  this  flat- 
ness must  be  preserved,  but  structurally  a 
wall  has  thickness  as  well  as  length  and 
breadth,  and  therefore  this  solidity  nuist  not 
be  concealeil  b\  flimsy  coverings.  For  in- 
stance, if  )ou  paper  a  wall  from  ceiling  to 
floor  with  a  flowered  paper  it  would  look 
as  unstable  as  a  muslin  curtain,  but  if  there 
is  a  baseboard  at  the  bottom  of  the  wall  and 
a  cornice  or  molding  at  the  top,  the  strength 
of  the  wall  is  obvious,  and  you  can  use  an\ 
[)aper  or  decoration  you  please. 

The  most  distinguished  wall  treatments — 
the  hangings  of  tapestries  and  other  tex- 
tiles, the  tooled  leathers,  the  beautifid 
painteii  panels  of  the  mural  artist — are  not 
within  the  jirovince  of  these  articles.  The 
average  householder  employs  two  methods  ot 
wall  covering,  wood  paneling  and  plaster. 
We  have  discussed  the  possibilities  ot  wooil 
paneling    in    a    former    article.      Plastercil 


walls  ma\  be  divided  into  three  group:  the 
walls  which  depenti  upon  the  natural  color 
and  uneven  te.xture  of  the  pla>t<r  for  decora- 
tion, the  walls  that  are  painted  or  distem- 
pered, and  the  walls  that  are  paiH-rrd. 

It  \ou  are  building  a  new  house,  i)ay  a 
little  more  for  an  expert  phtstrrrr  and  do 
without  wall-papers.  A  g<MKi  wall  otT«rs  o|>- 
portunity  tor  real  decoration,  but  an  imiKT- 
tect  wall  must  always  be  covereil  with  pa|)cr 
or  textile  in  order  to  become  a  baik;:round. 

i'apered  walls  are  very  g(HKl  indeed  when 
the  paper  is  caretully  selected  after  due  con- 
sideration of  the  u.ses  of  the  nxmi,  the  ex- 
posure of  the  winilows,  and  .so  torfh,  but 
papered  walls  cannot  Ix*  compared  with 
painted  walls  for  cleanlines.s  ;ind  dignity  if 
the  |)laster  beneath  the  paint  has  Ivin  pro|>- 
erlv  ap|)lied.  We  see  so  tew  giHKi  painted 
walls  that  it  seems  hardly  worth  con.»itirr- 
ing  them  at  all.  Most  iwople  fake  it  for 
granted  that  the  plaster  will  crack  and  srt- 
tle.  'Ihe\  wait  |)atiently  until  that  ordral 
i>  over  and  then  pa|x-r  the  walls. 

I*l:Lstered   walls   arc   vcr)    plca.sint    when 


•79 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


left  in  the  nariiral  color  of  the  plaster.  In 
every  locality  this  color  vi'ries,  according  to 
the  sand  used.  Sometimes  the  plaster  is  a 
pale  biscuit  color,  sometimes  a  clear  gray, 
but  usuall}-  it  is  a  soft  tan.  The  colors  ma) 
be  varied  indefinitely  by  the  addition  ot  a 
little  pure  color  when  the  plaster  is  being 
mixed.  The  grain  ot  the  plaster  is  like  tlic 
texture  of  a  fabric,  pleasing  in  its  rough- 
ness. 

Given  a  good  plastered  wall,  }ou  can  do 
many  things.  You  may  paint  it  cream  or 
gra)-  or  tan,  using  a  flat  paint  always,  or 
you  may  tint  it  with  one  of  the  many  cold- 
water  paints  sold  tor  the  purpose.  A 
painted  or  distempered  wall  may  be  broken 
into  large  panels  by  the  use  of  a  narrow 
molding,  the  molding  being  painted  the  same 
tone  as  the  walls,  or  a  lighter  tone  of  the 
same  color.  Walls  so  painted  should  always 
be  light  in  color. 

Whitewashed  walls  are  all  ver\-  well  tor 
tro[)ical  countries,  but  they  are  the  most  dit- 
ticult  ot  all  walls  to  make  beautiful.  An 
artist  can  plan  a  room  with  white  walls  and 
achieve  something  worth  while,  but  an  ama- 
teur cannot.  In  the  first  place,  the  glare  of 
white  walls  is  very  bad  on  the  eyes.  Again, 
white  is  not  a  background  color,  it  is  too 
cold  and  downright;  you  cannot  get  away 
from  it.  Walls  are  primarily  backgrounds, 
so  there  you  are.  White  may  be  softened 
and  mellowed  by  mixing  a  little  yellow  with 
it.  and  it  becomes  cream  or  ivorj-  or  buff, 
suave  and  aristocratic.  But  dead  white 
walls  are  never  pleasant.  A  white  marble 
bust,  or  a  white  [xircelain  figurine  outlined 
against  a  darker  background  is  distinguished 
in  effect,  but  the  same  object  placed  against 
a  white  wall  would  be  pale  and  as  uninter- 
esting as  skimmed  milk.     White  is  one  of 


180 


the  precious  colors,  and  should  be  used  spar- 
ingly and  skilfully,  and  not  tor  large  areas. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  notably  the 
extreme  South,  walls  are  alwa\s  white- 
washed. This  treatment  is  either  very  good 
or  \  erj'  bad.  It  a  room  has  white  woodwork 
and  a  few  pieces  of  handsome  old  furniture, 
whin-  walls  give  it  a  severe  formality  that  is 
commendable  in  a  warm  climate,  where  the 
inclination  is  to  let  things  go. 

^^'hite  plastered  walls  with  dark  wood- 
work are  distressingly  glaring.  Such  a  room 
rec}uires  masses  of  green  things  to  make  it 
homelike.  I  know  one  Georgia  drawing- 
room  tliat  has  white  walls  and  ceiling  and 
woodwork,  and  a  tioor  of  wide  boards 
jiainted  a  dull  green.  A  faded  old  rug  of  no 
particular  color,  a  square  piano,  a  davenport 
and  several  chairs  of  dark  mahogany,  and 
one  old  portrait  above  the  mantel  furnish  the 
room.  It  is  not  necessary  to  comment  on 
the  quality  of  this  room;  few  churches  give 
}ou  a  feeling  of  greater  quiet  and  reverence. 

One  can  imagine  whitewashed  walls  being 
ver}-  appropriate  to  the  stucco  houses  of 
Mexico  and  southern  California,  where  the 
glare  of  the  sunshine  is  tempered  by  thick 
walls  and  embrasured  doors,  and  windows 
and  many  hanging  vines.  There  the  interi- 
ors have  the  atmosphere  of  sun-rooms  with 
tiled  tioors  and  light  furniture  and  many 
growing  plants.  I  am  told  that  in  those 
queer  little  islands,  the  Bermudas,  every 
householder  is  required  by  law  to  whitewash 
his  walls  twice  a  year.  The  inhabitants  are 
large!}-  English  people,  and  they  know  the 
decorative  value  of  chintz,  so  they  temper 
the  glare  of  too-white  walls  by  hanging 
lengths  of  gay  fabrics  against  the  white- 
washed surfaces,  as  we  would  hang  pictures. 

I  had  the  entire  lower  floor  of  my  own 


THE  DECORATION   OI-    WALES 


\\'il»on  Eyrr,  Archiiett. 

The  pergola    at   "Tlic   Clarlli,"    Slrafford,   Pennsylvania.  Note  the  effective  contraM  l>ct»een  tlie  vin«  and  the  white 
columns. 

hou.se   painred   a  flat,   soft  pray,   walls  and  (|iiict  tone  of  it  all,  anil  I  actually  like  thr 

woodwork.      I   considered   lia\  inp  a  sli;^htl\  ileci)  sliaiiows  at  nij^ht. 

darker  tone  tor  the  woodwork,  hut  decided  With  this  df«'|)  j,'ray  as  backj^round,  I  have 

that  it  would  serve  merely  to  emphasize  the  been  able  to  use  strong  color  in  small  thinpi. 


smallness  of  the  r(K)ms.  One  uiiliroken  tone 
would  make  the  hall,  living-room  and  dining-- 
room one  large  apartment  in  effect.  I  n- 
wisely,  I  gave  the  painr<r  a  scrap  ot  soft 
velvet   carpeting   ot    a   iieli;_'hrtul    gra\-tan. 


I  maile  a  deep  orange  velvet  cover  for  thr 
living-room  couch,  and  several  large  pillows 
are  covered  with  this  orange  velvet  and  an 
orange  ami  gray  figured  challie.  There  i>  a 
small  table,  jiainted  black,  at  the  lieail  o\  thi> 


the  color  of  a  little  woolly  animal,  and  went  couch  to  lu)lil  a  lamp  and  smoking  things, 

away  serenely  expecting  him  to  get  just  that  The  lighting  fixtures  are  all  ot  |K-wtrr.  al- 

color.      Hi    did  II  t.      He  got  a  deep  miilille  m<»t  exactly   the  color  of  the  walls.     The 

tone  of  gra\    ttiat   is  vet)'  lovely  on  sunny  reading  lamp  is  made  of  a  crramy-whitr  jar, 

days,  and  when  it  snows  in  winter,  but  at  with  a  shaile  of  orange  col«»retl  silk.     This 

night  it  darkens  to  a  tleej)  gray.      1  love  tiie  color,  which  lies  l^-tween  rrii  and  orange.  i> 

181 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 

repcatt'il  in  many  small  thinps — in  the  pic-  occasional    rooms   there   are   fascinating  fig- 

tiire  over  the  mantel    (a  color  print  of  one  nrecl  papers,  reproductions  ot  the  landscape 

of  Jules  Gucrin's  French  chateaux),  in  many  papers  of  the  early   nineteenth  century,   of 

of  the  book  bindings,  in  a  little  lacquer  vase,  the  grotesque  Chinese  papers,  or  the  tapestry 

anil  in  Howers.     Somehow  there  are  always  and  foliage  English  papers  designed  by  Wil- 

flowers  to  be  had  of  orange  iuid  red  and  sal-  liam   Morris   and   Walter  Crane,   and   hun- 

mon  color.     Just   now  my  vases  are   filled  dreds  of  gay  bedroom  paj)ers  that  are  almost 

w  ith  tat  rose  hips  and  bittersweet  berries  that  irresistible. 

will  last  all  winter.  I  admit  the  temptation  of  figured  papers. 

The  dining-room,  which  is  really  a  part  of  \\'hen  I  go  into  a  wall-paper  shop  I  have 

the   living-riHMii,    has   the   same   color   plan,  the  same  greedy  feeling  I  have  in  the  early 

Oak.    furniture    of   a  wami,    waxed    brown,  spring   when   hundreds  of  flowered  muslins 

linen  colored  curtains;  a  rug  with  much  old  and  sweet-smelling  linens  are  spread  out  in 

red  and  dark  blue  in  it;  a  gay  Carl  Larrson  the  shops.     I  should  like  to  buy  dozens  and 

color  print  with  splashes  of  his  wonderful  dozens!     But  flowered   wall-papers  become 

red;  an  orange  lacquer  tray  and  a  big  green  \ery  tiresome  if  you   live  with  them  long, 

jug  of  yellow  flowers  on  the  sideboard;  and  and  nou  would  n't  want  to  wear  the  sweetest 

a  blue  and  yellow  Spanish  bowl  on  a  square  rose-sprigged  muslin  that  ever  blossomed  for 

ot  Chinese  red  brocade  on  the  table.     Ever}-  years  and  years. 

where  spots  of  old  blue,  Italian  yellow,  or-  \\'hen  you  buy  wall-papers,  consider  the 
ange,  and  deep  Chinese  red  against  the  gray  rooms  in  w  hich  they  are  to  be  used.  Con- 
walls,  sider  also  the  rooms  that  connect  one  with 

Upstairs,   the  gray   walls  and   woodwork  another,  for  your  o{)en  doors  will  bring  about 

continue  in  the  hall.     There  is  a  group  of  discord  or  harmony. 

four  windows  on  the  stairs,  bringing  light  Figured  wall-papers  are  not  to  be  con- 
and  air  to  both  floors,  and  in  order  to  pull  demned  wholesale;  man}-  of  them  are  beau- 
the  two  floors  together  and  bring  a  little  tiful.  The  main  thing  to  guard  against  in 
color  into  the  gray  hall  I  had  long  side  cur-  selecting  your  paper  is  too  realistic  design, 
tains  made  of  gray  challie,  with  Japanese  The  more  fantastic  and  conventionalized  the 
figures  of  flame  red  and  very  dark  blue  in  it.  paper  is,  the  better  the  result  will  be.  A 
These  long  curtains  are  beautiful  by  day  realistic  wall-paper  is  dreadful  for  the  simple 
and  by  night.  The  flame  red  is  repeated  in  reason  that  walls  are  supposed  to  be  flat  sur- 
a  number  of  pictures — black  and  white  faces,  and  "natural"  objects  destroy  this  flat- 
prints  with  mats  of  Chinese  paper  exactly  ness.  The  trouble  with  most  people  who  use 
this  color,  and  narrow  black  frames.  No  figured  wall-papers  is  that  they  are  not  con- 
other  color  is  needed  in  the  hall.  tent  to  let  the  design  of  the  paper  decorate 

If  the  walls  of  }our  house  are  too  badly  the  room,  and  they  pile  on  pictures  and  mir- 

scarred  and  cracked  to  be  painted,  there  are  rors  until  the  general  effect  is  that  of  a  gro- 

hundreds  of  excellent  papers   to  be   found,  tesque  crazy-quilt. 

For  most  rooms  plain  papers,  or  papers  plain  One  of  the  most  beautiful   halls   I  have 

in  effect,  are  best.     For  long  hallways  and  ever  seen  had  a  paneled  wainscoting  about 

182 


THE  DECORATION  OF   \\A1,LS 


MMlfS^lU 


llarric    T.  I.indcbrrK,  Architect. 
The   dining-room   of   the   Boardman   Robinson   house   at   Forest    IlilU,   Long   Island,   has  waIN  of  poncrc  color  and 
woodwork  of  cream-white.     Black  chintz  curtains  patterned  in  hirds  and  flowers  are  used   in  the  casement  nindowv 

toiir   t((  r   hi^'li,   a   wliinwashed  c-cilin^'  that  kiiul,  ami  tin-  tiiriiitiirf  usihI  in  thr  riHim  with 

dropped  two  tfet  to  a  [)iitiire--molilin;^.  and  muIi  a  paper  must  hv  carrtully  chost-n.    This 

the  space  between  tilled  with  a  Chinrse  paper  particwhir  hall   hail   tiirnifure  of  hhuk  oak. 

made  up  of   impossible  trees  and  vines  and  and  ruj^s  of  plain  ^'reen  velvet,  just  the  tour 

flowers,    wirli    hundreds    of    <^orpeous    birds  ot   the  branches.     This  is  an  example  ot  a 

perched     anion},'     them.      Tliis     paper     was  tlarin;^  [laper  well  used, 
copied  from  one  of  the  rare  old  hanil-painted  In  my  own  little  house  I  have  useil  a  pajxr 

{)apers  ot  a  centur)-  ago.      The  ^^round  color  very   fantastic  in  d<sipi,  but   very   sulxlued 

was   a   deep   \(llow.      Each    lenj^th    ditfered  in  color,  with  e.\crllent  effect.     The  r«>»»ni  in 

slight!}   in  tlcsign.  there  were  ditjennt  birds  question    is   an    upstairs   sitting-nxmi,    with 

swinging  on  liitferent  colored  branches,  but  four  big  wimlows  that  give  us  vistas  r;Lst, 

the  flat  arrangement  of  the  backgrouml  and  west,  and  south.     The  design  of   the  pa|>rr 

the  brilliant  plumage  of  the  birds  and   the  is  maile  up  of  peactxks  with  sweeping  tails, 

queer  greens  of  tlie  br.iiu  lies  gave  the  etiVct  perched  on   flowery   Inuighs.      But   it   is  thr 

of    an    ord<rl\.    well-balanced    design.     Of  .softest  paj>er  in   tone,   in  color,   in  quality. 

course  IK)  pictures  are  used  on  a  paper  of  this  It  has  no  sheen.     The  c(»lors  arc  dull  blues 

i«^ 


THK  HONEST  HOUSE 


and  j^rct-ns  and  j,'ra\-iiiaiivi>  on  a  dark  pray 
ground.  The  wootlMork  has  been  painted 
a  lij^ht  blue-green,  jii^t  the  c()U)r  ot  the  tail 
feathers  ot  the  peacocks.  The  ceiling  was 
siii>p()sed  to  be  ot  shimmering  silver,  but  it 
does  n't  shimmer,  and  sooner  or  later  I  am 
going  to  go  over  it  with  a  thin  coat  ot  gold. 
Thar  will  make  it  lovel}.  The  furniture  in 
the  room  includes  a  black  oak  desk,  a  black 
oak  table  for  books  and  magazines,  a  pair 
of  old  Japanese  chests  of  black  and  gray 
cedar,  and  a  large  day  bed  painted  blue- 
green. 

The  color  of  this  room  is  so  jo)ous  it 
does  n't  seem  possible  that  it  took  so  long 
to  plan  it.  The  curtains  were  easy — a 
lovely  Japanese  chintz  of  blue  and  green  and 
silver,  with  the  silver  dominant.  This  stuflF 
looks  like  a  brocade,  stiff  with  metal,  but  it 
costs  only  fifty  cents  a  yard.  The  rug  was 
a  hideous  thing  of  velvet — a  gift — heavy  of 
pile  and  shocking  in  design.  I  had  it  dyed 
black,  jet  black,  and  it  is  very  fine  indeed, 
not  gloomy — it  is  soft  and  deep  and  warm 
looking,  and  throws  all  the  other  colors  in 
the  room  into  proper  im[)ortance.  I  tried  all 
sorts  of  colors  on  the  da\-  bed,  and  they  were 
all  too  low  in  key.  Finally  I  brought  out 
a  piece  of  deep  sulphur  yellow  velvet,  and 
it  was  just  what  the  room  needed.  So  I 
made  a  cover  and  pillows  of  it.  There  is 
also  a  pillow  of  the  curtain  stuff,  and  an- 
other ot  yellow  with  Chinese  figures  in  it. 
Later,  I  brought  in  several  things  of  vivid 
flame  color  and  peacock  blue — and  a  tall  gra}- 
jar  of  real  peacock  feathers  for  my  desk,  and 
now  the  room  is  full  of  color  but  not  in  the 
least  jarring. 

There  are  hundreds  of  papers  of  good  de- 
sign and  color  in  the  market  to-day,  papers 
decorative  enough  to  carr\-  rooms  far  toward 


beaut)'.  The  power  of  selection  is  all  that 
is  needed. 

The  hall  is  the  most  formal  antl  least  used 
part  of  the  house,  and  therefore  the  very 
[)lace  for  papers  of  bold  design.  The  old 
landscape  papers  that  were  planned  tor  the 
halls  of  Colonial  houses  are  being  revived, 
but  rhcy  are  suitable  only  to  those  long  halls 
with  doors  opening  just  so,  and  stately  stair- 
cases, and  massive  mahogany  furniture.  The 
hall  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  iSf 
is  admirably  planned.  The  white  of  the 
woodwork  and  the  polished  wood  of  the  stair 
and  the  furniture  is  perfect  with  the  dark 
landscape  paper. 

There  are  hundreds  of  foliage  papers  on 
the  market.  Some  of  them  have  designs  in 
the  tapestry  colorings,  and  are  very  allur- 
ing. They  may  be  used  as  friezes  above  the 
wainscoting  or  paneling  of  a  hall  or  dining- 
room.  Recently  I  saw  a  hall  in  a  cit}-  house 
papered  with  a  foliage  paper  made  of  many 
gray  and  white  leaves,  and  the  elTect  was 
very  cool  and  prim.  A  similar  paper  of 
green  leaves  would  be  delightful  in  a  country 
cottage  hall,  used  in  combination  with  white 
paint  and  green  painted  furniture. 

Ot  course  this  does  n't  apply  to  halls  that 
open  directly  into  living-rooms  with  no 
doors  between  them.  A  bold  paper  should 
always  be  used  in  a  room  that  has  doors  that 
open  and  shut. 

Be  careful  of  your  bedrooms.  Bedrooms 
invite  gay  papers  copied  from  old  English 
chintzes  and  French  fabrics  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  You  can  do  almost  anything  you 
like  with  your  bedroom,  but  it  must  be 
planned  just  as  carefully  as  the  other  rooms 
of  the  house.  If  you  have  a  collection  of 
small  pictures  and  photographs  you  cannot 
put   away,   paper  your  walls   with   a   plain 


184 


THE  DECORA  riON  Ol-   WALLS 


lias  a  -^lass  to()  inset,  and  undt-r  it  I  have  a 
It-npth  of"  tirern  and  blue  and  silver  cloth. 
All  the  little  bottles  and  thin;;.s  on  tl>e  dress- 
in;,'  table  an  of  queer  Chinese  blues  and 
;,'reens.  I  |)itked  them  up  in  Chinatown. 
The  curtains  are  of  a  sunprcKjf  material  of 
>ilk  and  linen,  of  nmlbe-rry  with  little  yellow 
threads  in  it. 

Another  one  ot  m\  bednMims  is  pa|>ered 
with  a  plain  elover  pink  pa|)er.  The  furni- 
ture is  hucjuered  blaek.  the  wcHnlwork  cream, 
and  the  chinf/  an  En;,'lish  one  with  birds  of 
paradise  and  funn\  Howers  in  dark  red,  clover 
jiink.  dull  ;:reen  and  yellow  on  a  cream 
^^round.  .Another  little  rcxim  has  an  old- 
fashioned  |)aper  s|)rinkleci  with  little  ba^ket^ 
of  blue  and  rose  posies.     Her«-  I  used  a  black 


Umnu  li)   t    S    L'lini'tiian 

A  Coldiiial  hallway  with  its  generous  staircavc,  ami 
large  wall  spaces  decorated  hy  an  old-fashioned  landscape 
wall-paper. 

color,  as  p;ay  as  you  please,  and  be  happy. 

You  will  lose  your  ;:;ood  spirits  and  friends 

it  \()u  cover  your  walls  with  a  pajx-r  of  lar;;;e 

design,  and  then  cover  the  paper  with  photo-  chest  of  drawers,  and  covered  the  bed  with 

gra[)hs  and  bridge  score-cards,  and  calendars  an  old   blue   woven  coverl«-t.     \\m  s«-e.  so 

and  odds  and  ends.  much  of  m\  house  is  gray  I  feel  I  can  afford 

In  selecting  my  own  wall-papers,  I  de-  gay  papers  in  these  rooms, 
cided  to  give  up  picturts  ami  odil^  and  ends  The  sho[)s  have  been  very  proud  tc)  offer 
and  to  have  just  the  paper  I  coveted  for  figured  wall-|)a|H'rs  and  chint/.«-s  to  match, 
my  own  bedroom.  .All  ni)'  bedrooms  have  the  last  few  \«-ars,  though  why  any  one 
cream-coloreci  woodwork  and  cream  ceilings,  should  wish  to  have  so  much  of  the  same 
h\  the  w  a\ .  and  ^o  it  was  necessary  to  select  design  in  a  rcxim,  I  cannot  understand.  The 
papers  with  cream  grounds.  M}-  bedroom  plain  wall-paper  always  invites  figured 
paper  is  a  reproduction  of  an  old  Japanese  chint'/  hangings,  and  the  figured  pa[X'r  in- 
one  with  all  sorts  of  legendary  flowers  and  vites  plain  colored  hangings, 
trees  and  temples  and  birds  upon  it.  The  I  once  sj»cnt  a  night  in  a  fvdroom  that  was 
pnxailing  colors  were  soft  jade  gncn  and  sup|)o.sed  to  be  a  "sweet-jH-a  riK>ii)"  by  its 
mulberry,  on  a  cream  ground.  The  dress-  misguided  owner.  The  walls  were  ctn- 
ing  table,  the  chest  of  drawers,  a  high  back  ered  with  sweet  jH-as,  millions  of  thnii,  s<» 
chair,  and  the  wooden  bed  were  all  painted  violentl\  colored  as  to  Iv  a  lih-l  to  the  tr.ig- 
exactly  the  green  of  the  little  islands  in  the  ile  butterHy  flowers  that  inspired  the  paper, 
paper.  Ihe  curtains  were  ot  a  sweet-i»ea  chintz  "to 

There  is  to  be  a  little  green  bedside  table,  match."     The    furniture    covering    and    the 

and  a  bedspread  of  cream,  and  a  large  rug  hangings  were  of  the  same  chintz,  and  e\er> 

of  cream  and  mulberry,  when   I   tind  th<-m.  inncnent   wmxlen  sjiacT — drawer  front.s  and 

The  litrli    nig  I  1ki\c  is  a  wee  one.  bur  it  i^  chair  back.s,  and  so  forth — w;us  painted  with 

exactly   right   in  color.     'Ihe  dressing  table  more  sweet  jx-as.     I  never  w.mted  to  srr  an- 

.85 


iHK  HOXKST  HOUSE 

other  swt-et  pea  when   I   left  tliar   unlia|)i)y  is  so  indescribabh   lovel).     There  was  much 

room!  color  in  the  room,  in  small  thinjjs,  but  the 

Another  custom  the  shops  have  thrust  upon  effect  ot  it  was  as  rctrcshin^'  and  coolin<;  as 

us  is  the  scalloi)ed  border  tor  beilroom  pa-  a  f^roup  of  silver  birches   in  a  ileep  wood, 

pers.     I  am  so  tired  ot  pink-rose  wall-papers  You  could  shut  }()ur  eyes  and  feel  the  color, 

with  carefully  scissored  and  scalloped  bor-  Brown  and  buff  and  cream  and  tan  have 

ders  in  bedrooms!     The  nicest  thinj^  about  been  tlic  well-bred  friends  of  homemakers  for 

roses  is  that  the)    aren't   prim   and  careful,  )ears,  but  j^ray  has  just  rccentl)    come  into 

and   th(\    do  not  repeat  themselves.      I   am  its  own.     (iold  papers  are  sometimes  good, 

sure  we  should  all  grow  frightfully  tired  of  when  they  are  made  by  Orientals,  but  do- 

them  if  we  had  every  petal  in  replica.  mestic   gold    paper   usually    has   a   greenish 

But  the  color  of  tin-  rose — that  is  differ-  tinge,  and   blackens  unpleasantly  with  age. 

ent.    That  we  ma\  take  for  our  own  and  en-  A  room  with  one  of  these  tarnished  papers 

jo\.     ^^'hen  I  was  a  little  girl  we  called  soft  has  the  effect  of  plated  table-ware  when  the 

pink  "pink,"  and  that  dreadful  candy-pink  silver  has  worn  off — it  tempers  your  pleas- 

that  is  so  vulgar  we  called  "pank."  ure. 

Rose  color  is  as  different  from  pink  or  The  gold-leaf  and  silver-leaf  papers  of 
pank  as  orange  is  from  canary.  I  alwa\s  Japan  are  very  beautiful,  and  are  much  used 
think  of  them  as  pinks  and  panks  now,  the  by  artists  for  covering  ceilings  and  screens 
pleasant  and  unpleasant  tones.  Rose  is  a  and  occasionally  for  walls,  but  gold-leaf  pa- 
young  girl's  own  color.  Another  good  [link  pers  must  be  used  with  discrimination,  and 
is  the  shade  the  Chinese  use  so  much  in  their  the  hangings  used  with  them  must  be  care- 
porcelains,  and  the  English  use  so  much  in  tully  chosen. 

their  chintzes — a  deep  pink  with  a  hint  of  Gold  papers  are  more  often  used  success- 
gray  in  it.     This  is  real l}niy  clover  pink.  fullj^  on  ceilings   than  on  walls.     Many  a 

Gra}-  and  tan  are  good  wall  colors,  but  gloomy  hall  would  be  vasth'  improved  it  its 

they  absorb  the  light  most  extravagantly.      I  ceiling    were    washed    in    gold,    or    covered 

like  brown  walls  when  they  are  ot  paneled  with  gold  paper.     Gold  invites  Chinese  red 

wood,  but  usually  brown  is  not  a  pleasant  lacquer,  and  bronze  green  velvets,  and  dark 

color  in  paper.  waxed  oak  furniture.     The  silver  paper  that 

There    is    a    dark    tobacco-brown    paper  .Ia[)anese    artists    use   so    well    is    a    perfect 

(Japanese  of  course)   that  is  lovely  in  tex-  background   for  violet,   and   old  blues,   and 

ture,  soft  and  changing  and  shadowy,   and  pale  yellows,  and  vivid  light  greens.     Grass 

not  vet)'  expensive,  but  the  ordinary  brown  cloth  is  a  sort  of  betwixt-and-between  stuff 

papers  are  coarse,  ami  tlirr\  looking.     A  cool  that  has  the  sheen  of  gold  or  silver  and  the 

tan  is  much  pleasanter.  texture  of  coarse  linen.      It  costs  more  than 

Gra)-  papers  are  charming  in  south  rooms,  wall  paper,  but  it  lasts  well.     Grass  cloth 

I  saw  a  wondertul   room  lately  with  walls  has  horizontal  lines,  and  should  not  be  used 

covered  with  gray  Japanese  grass  cloth,  wood-  in   low-ceiled   rooms.     In  silver-gray,   gold, 

work  stained  a  silver  gray,  and  ceiling  cov-  cream,  tan  or  buff  it  is  an  unobtrusive  back- 

ered  with  that  silvered  Japanese  paper  that  ground  for  good  furniture. 

186 


THE  DECOHATIOX  Ol    WALLS 


Drawn  l.y  (■  s   I  r. HI, III... I 

'rhe>e  rooms  have  the  serenity  which  comes  from  bare 
floors  and  plain  walls.  A  glimpse  of  the  Casa  Blanca  at 
St.  Angel,  Mexico. 

Rliif  is  the  nicest  color  in  the  workl,  the 
heavenly  color,  but  it  is  not  tor  walls.  It 
is  too  precious  a  color  for  large  s[iaccs. 
Think  twice  about  blue.  Blue  hanj^in;?;  and 
porcelains,  and  gray  or  tan  or  cream  or  buff 
or  sage  green  walls,  ami  rugs  with  rose  ami 
more  blue — yoii  could  make  huiuireds  t)t 
color  plans  with  liliir  ;i-  the  dominant  color, 
Iiuf  it  is  n't  n<'cessar\'  to  spread  it  our  on  your 
walls.      Blue  ami  white  figunil  papers  are  all 

1S7 


rigiit,  tor  thin  there  is  more  white  than  blue, 
and  a  bedroom  with  such  a  pai^er  and  white 
wtKKJwork  and  furniture  and  muslin  curtains 
would  be  as  sweet  as  a  spring  morning.  Blue 
\\  hen  used  as  a  hou.se  color  should  always  br 
a  soft  blue  or  a  darker  Chini-se  blue.  Baby 
I'lue  is  a  feeble  color  for  ilecorative  jmr- 
poses. 

Green  and  red  have  been  so  long  and  so 
badly  misused  that  I  'd  rather  say,  do  not 
use  them  at  all,  than  give  any  advice  that 
will  lead  to  the  perpetration  of  further  mis- 
dieds. 

Green  we  love  because  Nature  loves  it  so, 
iiiit  we  bring  greens  into  our  hou.s<'s  that  Na- 
ture would  not  tolerate.  The  strong  greens 
ami  the  strong  reds  are  b«-st  left  outdoors. 
I'liere  Nature  takes  care  of  them,  and  m;is>es 
other  greens   with   them. 

But  tor  interiors  we  had  lM*st  use  the  de- 
rivatives of  these  colors,  and  use  the  pure 
greens  and  reds  only  in  emlx-lli.shing  Mjft- 
roned  backgrounds.  In  a  sunro<«n  or  a  room 
with  man}-  wimlows  you  can  use  an  ama/ing 
amount  of  green  but  it  must  be  the  right 
green. 

The  outdoor  greens  are  only  suitable  for 
sunshin\'  rooms  that  are  to  be  treated  as  iiut- 
door  nxims.  For  int<riors  bluc-grerns  and 
bron/e-greens  and  .s:ige-greens  and  black- 
greens  are  best.  They  should  be  u.sed  as  blue 
is  used,  with  some  softer  color  for  b.uk- 
grouml. 

"S'ellow  is  the  pleasantrst  of  all  wall  ct»lors. 
B(x)ks  have  been  written  in  its  praise,  of  its 
aristcx-ratic  influence  in  city  draw  • 

of  its  sunshiny  atmosphere,  ot  it.^  su _      _ 

gestion  of  pros|VTity.  Ymi  amid  not  grt 
vcrv  glooni)  in  a  room  with  walls  of  wanu 
\(lIow.  But — fhire  are  yellows  and  yel- 
lows!     I   once  knew   a  man   who  pr»>trsrrd 


'IHK  HONKST  HOISE 


that  blue  \va>  liliic:  you  coulii  n't  ;,'(t  away 
troni  that  I 

Now  fvt-ry  woman  knows  that  blue  is  a 
most  versatik-  rolor;  it  is  a  luimlrcd  thin}j;s, 
pleasant  anil  unpirasant,  but  you  cannot  mix 
blut'S  rtckicssh   and  expect  harnion). 

Yellow  also  has  to  be  handled  with  caretul 
thou^'hr  anil  consideration.  It  it  has  a 
creamy  tone,  it  is  suave  and  gracious,  just 
the  color  tor  a  paintetl  wall  that  is  to  be 
broken  into  large  paneled  spaces  by  narrow 
molding. 

It  it  has  a  rosy  tone,  it  is  delicious  enough 
to  eat,  smiling  and  ga}'  and  full  of  the  cheer 
of  sunshine,  and  the  jiroper  color  tor  the  walls 
of  the  family  living-room.  It  it  is  deeper, 
with  a  leaning  toward  orange,  it  will  be  su- 


perb in  a  darkened  north  rix)m,  with  heavy 
brown  furniture  and  nuich  cream  paint  antl 
nuislin  and  an  occasional  splash  of  coral  red, 
or  tlame  red,  as  you  prefer. 

CJreen-\ellow  is  ugly  and  depressing,  like 
a  sour  smile.  I  have  seen  canary  yellow  used 
wirli  mauve  and  gray  in  a  French  wall-paper, 
but  I  shdiiKI  not  like  to  Ii\c  with  ir.  Sul- 
phur yellow  is  also  ugly  in  large  masses.  But 
both  these  yellows  can  be  used  successtully 
by  any  one  who  can  handle  color. 

Orange,  pure  and  simple,  is  a  magnificent 
color,  bur  it  should  be  used  sparingly.  Too 
nuich  of  it  is  distressing.  A  cream  bowl  of 
orange  flowers  and  green  leaves  against  a 
creamy-yellow  wall — that  is  one  of  the  things 
that  makes  one  appreciate  the  gift  of  eyes! 


188 


CHAPTEH  XXII 


THE  RIGHT  ISF,  OF  (THTAIXS 

ONE   of   the   New    \'ork   papers   re-  while  the  people  of  the  tenements  arc  forced 

oently  contained  a  .scathing  editorial  hy  law  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  light  and 

on  the  cit)  women  who  make  cave-  air,    the    cave-dwellers    of    the    brown>tone 

tlucllers  ot  their  taniilics  b\'  having  curtains,  houses  have  no  one  to  say  them  nay,  and  ^* 

and  then  more  curtains,  and  more  curtains,  bring   u()   their   pallid   families   in   air-tight 

so  that  whatever  light  ami  air  nun   be  out-  houses. 

side,  very  little  ever  gets  into  the  rooms  ot  tiie  The  city  woman  is  not  peculiar  in  her  dread 
city  house.  of  light  and  air.  Every  little  town  h;Ls  a 
The  editorial  was  well  deserved,  for  the  gomlly  number  ot  houses  with  windows  al- 
present  mode  of  curtaining  New  York  win-  ways  tightly  shuttered.  I  have  .seen  tidy  cot- 
dows  seems  to  be  to  hang  an  expensive  lace  tages  in  New  Englanii  with  wintlow>  that 
curtain  tiat  against  the  glass,  the  full  length  of  have  not  been  opened  in  years.  There  w;tv 
the  window;  inside  that,  there  is  usual! \  a  a  time  when  [K-ople  had  to  pay  faxe>  tor  the 
holland  shade  (as  if  the  many  curtains  were  privilege  of  windows,  so  much  t»>r  each  win- 
not  enough  I  j  ;  then  another  pair  of  lace  cur-  dow.  One  can  imagine  that  those  early  win- 
tains,  looped  back  to  give  just  a  little  tri-  dows  were  really  appreciateii,  that  they  were 
angular  view  of  the  glass  curtain;  then  a  allowed  to  give  rlnlr  tull  inr.i-nrc  .>t  h^lit 
jxiir  of  very  heavy   velvet  or  brcK-ade  cur-  ami  air. 

tains,  lined  and  interlined,  hanging  straight  Perhaps  .some  day.  when  health  is  just  05 

or  looped  slightly  and  finished  with  a  deep  nnich  a  matter  of  law  as  honesty,  it  will  hr 

titted  top,  similar  to  the  hiileous  lambre(]uins  a  misilem«-anor  to  be  ill  »ir  cross,  and  a  tax 

of  the  \ictorian  era  of  decoration.  will  be  imposeil  on  closed  wimiowsl 

By  the  time  all  tli.se  draperies  have  been  "S'ou  can  walk  along  the  street  and  •■>i/.c 

adjusteil  tli<  re  is  ver\    little  chance  for  light  peojile  u|»"  by  the  way  they  treat  their  w  m- 

or  air.      Tlie  editor  in  ijuestion  remarked  that  dows.      When  \ou  -ee  huge  vas<^  ot  artih.  lal 

189 


THE  HONEST  HOISE 

flowers  bctwtrn  the  lace  curtains  arnl  ^lass,  script  houses  the  windows  are  spotted  singl}- 

tor  outsiders  to  enjoy,  you  may  be  sure  the  over  the  surface  with  no  apjiarent  rime  or 

people   are   "showing  off."     Closely   drawn  reason,    and    are    ver}-    ugly.     Often    these 

curtairLs  and  shades  pulled  down  just-so  sug-  scattered  single  windows  ma}  be  pulled  into 

gest  a  too-neat  housekeeper  with  a  dread  of  a  group.      For  instance,  if  a  room  has  one 

light  and  air.  or  a  room  too  fine  to  use.  side  wall  broken  b)-  two  windows,  about  four 

R(H)ms  should  n't  be  too  fine  to  use.  Here  feet  ajiart,  the  space  between  may  be  tilleil 
is  a  house  with  lace  curtains  at  the  parlor  with  a  new  window.  The  room  will  be  nuich 
windows,  ragged  net  ones  at  others,  and  pleasanter,  and  the  exterior  will  have  a  new 
shabb\-  ilotted  swiss  ones  at  servants'  rooms  interest,  for  the  three  windows  will  form  a 
and  basement — you  know  very  well  what  to  logical  break  in  the  wall.  People  are  al- 
expect  of  the  people  behind  tlic  windows,  ways  "improving"  their  houses  by  adding 
Then  you  come  to  a  |)lain  little  shoe-bo.\  of  bay  windows,  which  usually  look  like  ex- 
a  house,  such  a  humble  little  house  no  one  pensive  excrescences,  when  by  expending 
would  think  of  looking  to  it  for  a  lesson  in  about  the  same  money  and  a  little  more 
decoration,  and  you  find  real  windows,  shin-  thought  they  could  make  the  whole  house 
ing  and  clean,  with  fresh  white  curtains  hang-  more  interesting  by  pulling  the  scattered  win- 
ing straight  and  full,  and  green  painted  win-  dows  into  well-bahmced  groups. 
dow-boxes  full  of  growing  things  fastened  to  A  group  of  windows  often  invites  a 
the  ledges  outside.  You  know  the  dvvellers  broad  window-seat.  The  window-seat  may 
in  the  little  house  are  nice  people,  anti  that  be  constructed  to  cover  a  long,  low  radiator, 
they  appreciate  the  privilege  of  win^lows.  with  a  lattice  for  the  heat  to  filter  through. 

Windows  are  intended  primarily  as  dis-  Such  a  seat  should  have  a  long  fitted  pad, 
pensers  of  light  and  air,  but  like  all  archi-  mattress  fashion,  of  some  fabric  that  will 
tectural  details  that  are  of  practical  value,  be  in  keep:)ing  with  the  other  fabrics  and 
they  are  also  of  the  greatest  decorative  im-  colors  of  the  room,  and  that  will  fade  to  an 
portance.  Too  many  windows  are  as  bad  agreeable  tone,  for  fade  it  will,  you  may  be 
as  too  few.  It  is  n't  that  we  need  so  many  sure  of  that.  However,  grays  and  browns 
more  windows,  but  that  we  need  a  better  and  tans  fade  to  even  pleasanter  tones  than 
grouping  of  those  we  have.  That  is  one  the)-  had  when  they  came  from  the  dye-pots, 
thing  the  modern  architect  does  supremely  In  a  small  dining-room  a  group  of  win- 
well  :  he  makes  the  most  of  windows  inside  dows  will  invite  a  square  or  an  jblong  din- 
the  house  and  out.  Instead  of  spotting  the  ing-table,  placed  at  right  angles  to  the  win- 
exterior  of  a  house  with  many  windows,  dow-sill.  I  have  often  watched  women 
badl\-  proportioned  and  badly  balanced,  he  scramble  for  the  tables  nearest  the  windows  in 
groups  the  windows  so  that  they  decorate  the  tea-rooms  and  restaurants,  and  yet  their  own 
exterior  and  make  the  interior  a  place  of  dining-tables  are  always  placed  exactly  in 
sweetness  and  light.  the  middle  of  the  room,  no  matter  how  small 

The  single  windows  in  Colonial  houses  are  or  how  gloomy  it  may  be.     It  is  not  always 

placed  with  geometrical   precision,   and   are  practicable  to  jilace  }our  dining-table  under 

dignified   in  effect,   but  in  so  many  nonde-  the  windows,  but  when  it  is — do  it  I     You 

190 


THE  RIGHT  ISK  OI    (  I  U  lAlXS 


Ntellur  Ic  MriRv  Archiirctt. 
This  fascinating  detail  of  the  entrance  to  the  olfice  of  the    architects    in    Philadelphia    i>    full    of    helpful    <uKt!"' 
tions   for  small   house   work.      The  casements   are  of   metal. 


can  make  tin-  room  even  more  dcli^'hrtul  by  plarcil  flu-  dinin^'-room  tablf  apiinst  thr  cast 

hinliiin^  a   lonj;  .slielt   umlrr  tin-  thrcf   win-  wall,  iiiulir  a  t,'n)iii>  ot  tour  wiiult>\v>.     Tltc 

dows,   and  havinj;  a   row   ot   plants  on   tin-  tablf  is  a  rrprodiution  of  an  old  Knjilish  rr- 

shelves.     You  will  alwa\s  liavt-  trt'.sh  j^ret-n  tVctory   table,  seven   t'ert  by   tour.     It   was 

thinji.s,   and   you  '11   always   ttel    tbat   meal-  iiuuh  too  lar^r  to  bi-  placed  in  the  nuiiiile 

time  is  a  ^■.\\;\  occasion.  ot  the  tioor,  but  is  mo>t  suix-j-sstul  under  the 

The  dinin^'-room  in  mv  own  little  hmise  is  windows.     We  pull  the  chairs  up  nruund  it, 

[•(■all}    a  parr  ot   the  livinp-room.  and   I  diil  and  look  out  the  wind<»ws.     When  the  doj; 

not  want  it  conventional,   with   a   table  sit  wotnl   is  in   bItKiiu,  or  when   the  first  sni»w 

S(]uarely    in    the    middle    ot    tlit     floor,    so    I  storm  comes,   we  can  offer  our  trirud-    r.  i! 


it>i 


THE  HONESl    HOUSE 


In  this  drawing  note  the  method  of  screening  the  radiator   which    is   under  the   seat.     Note   also   the    picturesque- 

ncss  of  the   window   arrangement  with   its  small   panes  and  simple   hangings. 

entertainment  with  their  dinner.  Then  in-  shelves  to  hold  plants.  A  lattice  may  be 
deed  do  we  appreciate  the  privilege  of  win-  built  around  the  windows,  and  ivy  trained 
dows.  There  are  so  man}-  trees  outside  that  over  it.  This,  of  course,  it  there  are  Jther 
there  is  no  glare  in  your  ejes,  facing  the  windows  in  the  room.  The  flowers  will 
light,  and  our  friends  find  it  a  very  happy  darken  the  room  slightly, 
arrangement.  You  can  see  how  it  is  placed  Don't  permit  curtains  that  will  interfere 
in  the  photograph  on  page  199.  On  gala  with  the  pleasure  of  living.  The  best  cur- 
occasions  we  pull  the  table  out  into  the  mid-  tains  in  the  world  are  made  of  sheer  white 
die  of  the  floor  and  .seat  twelve  people  com-  swiss  muslin.  You  can  be  sure  they  're  al- 
fortably.  But  there  are  few  such  occasions,  ways  clean.  You  are  n't  worried  about  peo- 
It  you  have  a  bay  window  in  your  house,  pie  looking  in,  and  if  you  want  to  look  out 
use  it!  Take  down  the  heavy  curtains  and  you  can  pull  them  aside, 
draperies,  and  remove  the  marble-topped  The  most  beautiful  windows  are  treated 
table  with  its  fine  vase  that  has  been  viewed  architecturally,  and  require  only  a  heav}-  side 
by  passers-by  for  these  many  jears,  and  make  curtain  that  may  be  drawn  at  night.  Made 
the  little  recess  a  useful  place.  A  big  arm-  up  ot  \\'ell-balanced  sashes  subdivided  into 
chair  and  a  sewing-table,  or  a  broad  window-  rectangular  or  diamond  panes  by  leads  or 
seat  with  narrow  shelves  for  books  at  the  small  moldings,  such  a  window  is  a  joy  in 
ends,  or  a  low  table  with  a  big  chair  on  itself.  It  doesn't  need  curtains.  If  you 
each  side  of  it — any  of  these  combinations  can  afford  the  glass  that  is  uneven  in  cjuality 
will  make  the  recess  most  inviting.  If  it  (amber  is  the  nicest  color  of  all)  your  win- 
has  a  sunny  exposure,  you  can  easily  make  dow  will  be  a  jewel,  as  full  of  changing  color 
a  flower  room  of  it.  In  this  case,  take  as  an  opal.  I  love  those  stately  old  houses 
down  all  the  thin  curtains  and  build  many  on  Beacon  Hill  in  Boston,  with  their  panes 

192 


THE  RIGHT  I  SK  OF  CL  KIALNS 


of  violet  and  lavender  ^lass.  If  one  of  these 
precious  panes  is  broken  the  Bostonian's 
heart  is  broken  also,  and  he  seeks  until  he 
finds  another  piece  of  misty  gray  or  lavender 
glass  that  will  fit  into  his  window. 

If  your  house  is  built  with  thick  walls  ask 
your  architect  to  see  that  you  have  broail  in- 
terior window  sills.  Nothing  adiis  more  to 
the  attractiveness  of  a  room  than  a  row  of 
flower  pots  on  a  broad  window  sill.  Some- 
how I  can't  imagine  an  English  cottage  case- 
ment window  without  a  very  crisp  white  mus- 
lin curtain  and  an  orderl)  row  ot  red  geran- 
iums on  the  sill.  A  bird  sings  merrily  in 
a  yellow  reed  cage,  the  flowers  always  bloom, 
the  curtains  never  lose  their  crispness,  in  my 
imagination.     This  vision  of  mine  has  been 


tostered  b)-  the  pictures  of  hundreds  of  art- 
ists, and  grim  reality  does  not  change  it. 
Therefore,  this  must  l>e  the  ideal  window 
treatment — all  poets  will  agree  with  me! 

We  are  so  cursed  with  Hies  and  mosquitoes 
in  .\merica  that  we  can't  consider  our  win- 
dow curtains  until  we  have  arranged  for 
wire  screens.  Window  shades  are  ahnost  as 
great  a  nuisance,  but  we  can  do  without  them 
by  having  two  sets  of  curtains.  Window 
shades  temper  the  light,  and  are  usually 
necessary  to  bednwms,  even  if  )ou  manage 
to  do  without  them  in  the  living-rtxim.  If 
you  must  have  them,  be  sure  that  they  look 
well  trom  the  outside  of  the  house.  If  they 
are  tan  or  ecru  or  linen  colond  they  will 
not  br  objectionable,  but  if  they  are  white 


WiUon   K»  re,  .\rcliilccl. 
Tlu.  ki.rlKM.,   when   well  <onsiclcrc-.l,  in.iy   l.<r  ^ay  a.ul  cherrful.-..  it  i.  in  ihi.  hou-  a.  Kort^  HilK  I^oR  t.Und. 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


or  dark  green  they  will  be  very  glaring.  Ot 
course  it  }()ur  house  is  painted  white,  you 
can  use  white  shades,  but  be  careful  not  to 
get  a  sickly  blue-white. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  use  a  holland 
shade  at  a  ciisement  window.  The  wire 
screen  is  almost  as  difficult.  It  you  have  the 
screen  placed  outside  the  window,  you  can 
have  a  built-on  \\  iiulow-box  outside,  but  tlie 
casement  will  have  to  swing  in.  If  you  have 
the  casement  swing  outward,  the  screen  will 
have  to  be  removed  ever}-  time  you  wish  to 
open  or  close  the  window. 

Casement  windows  are  best  curtained  with 
thin  white  net  or  muslin,  shirred  at  the  top 
and  bottom  on  small  brass  rods  so  that  the 
window  may  be  opened  without  the  vexation 
of  trapping  curtain.  Casements  made  of 
leaded  panes  of  colored  glass  do  not  require 
thin  curtains.  A  heavy  curtain  that  may 
be  drawn  across  the  window  at  night  is  all 
that  is  necessary. 

,\  heav)-  curtain  has  great  possibilities  for 
beauty.  When  you  choose  the  fabric,  select 
some  stuff  that  is  good  in  design  and  texture, 
especially  at  night,  for  while  almost  any 
heavy  curtain  is  attractive  enough  when 
jnilled  to  one  side  in  heavy  folds  by  day, 
when  it  is  drawn  at  night  it  should  be  even 
more  so — it  should  be  decorative.  I  like  a 
curtain  that  shimmers  at  night,  a  soft  fabric 
with  silk  threads,  or  one  of  those  lovely  Jap- 
anese cottons  that  are  printed  in  metals  and 
dull  colors — bronze  and  silver,  orange  and 
brown,  on  a  tan  ground.  Such  fabrics  cost 
no  more  than  ordinary  reps  and  velveteen. 

The  day  of  lace  curtains  has  gone  for- 
ever. This  is  one  of  the  reforms  of  which 
we  are  sure.  Despite  the  fact  that  millions 
of  pairs  of  lace  curtains  are  sold  each  }ear, 
no  one  that  aou  know  buvs  them.     Realh'. 


there  might  be  an  adage:  By  their  lace  cur- 
tains ye  shall  not  know  them! 

I  am  so  often  asked  "how.  long  [larlor  cur- 
tains should  be,"  or  how  new  curtains  are 
made,  or  whether  curtains  are  draped.  The 
treatment  of  window  curtains  is  exceedingly 
simple  because  it  is  invariably  based  on  com- 
mon sense.  The  drapings  and  puffings  of 
other  days  are  unknown  to  the  modern  decor- 
ator.    The  main  things  to  remember  are : 

Crlass  curtains  are  nicest  when  they  are 
of  white  or  cream  net  or  muslin  or  scrim. 
Natural-colored  linen  scrmi  also  is  good.  A 
two-inch  hem  on  both  sides  and  the  bottom 
and  a  two-inch  casing  at  the  top  are  the  usual 
finish.  Sometimes  they  are  rinished  with 
hemstitching,  if  you  care  to  take  the  trouble. 

These  thin  curtains  are  strung  on  a  small 
brass  rod  and  are  hung  as  close  to  the  glass 
as  possible.  The  lower  hem  barely  escapes 
the  sill  at  the  bottom.  The  curtains  may 
hang  in  straight  folds,  or  may  be  pushed  to 
the  sides  by  day.  If  they  are  made  of  net, 
it  will  not  be  necessar}'  to  {)ush  them  aside, 
for  net  is  thin  enough  to  see  through.  Rut- 
fled  curtains,  crossed  and  looped  back,  often 
appeal  to  us  just  because  of  their  cleanly, 
fresh  appearance,  but  plain  ones  are  nicer. 
Ruffles  belong  on  wearing  apparel,  not  on 
house-furnishings.  Occasionally  one  sees 
muslin  curtains  finished  with  an  old-fash- 
ioned ball  fringe.  These  curtains  are  usually 
held  back  by  white  cords  during  the  da}', 
but  they  should  be  released  from  the  cords  at 
night. 

Windows  that  go  all  the  way  to  the  floor 
of  course  should  have  glass  curtains  that 
barely  cover  the  glass  and  side  curtains  that 
just  escape  the  floor.  French  windows  are 
treated  differently;  here  two  small  brass  rods 
must  be  used  on  each  panel,  confining  the  top 


194 


THE  UK. HI    I  SK  ()1-   CL  KIAIN.^ 


and  bottom  hems  of  the  thin  curtains. 
Casement  windows  are  often  treated  in  the 
same  way.  Small  casements  may  have  short 
sash  curtains,  loose  at  the  bottom.  It  the 
casements  open  out,  the  white  curtains  an- 
often  eliminated  and  inside  curtains  of  silk  or 
linen  or  cretonne  are  fixed  to  the  inside  win- 
dow trim.  These  curtains  are  maile  with 
plaited  valances. 

When  side  curtains  of  chintz  or  such  a 
fabric  are  used  at  the  double-hunp  windows 
there  may  be  a  fitted  valance,  or  a  plaited 
ruffle  at  the  top  of  the  window.  This 
valance  should  have  its  own  rod,  so  that  the 
chint'/.  curtains  beneath  it  mav  be  drawn  to- 


f^ether  at  nitzht.  Many  |)eople  strinf:  the 
valance  and  side  curtains  on  the  same  iH>lr, 
and  while  this  is  n't  exactly  :is  it  .should  br, 
the  framing  of  the  f^ay  chintz  is  very  nice  to 
look  upon.  If  several  rofjnis  oiM-n  toyetlu-r, 
and  the  wall  treatments  are  the  same,  the 
side  curtains  should  also  Ix-  the  same. 

When  glass  doors  lead  to  an  outdoor  din- 
ing-room, or  a  little  conservatory,  or  an  en- 
closed piazza,  the  effect  is  very  phx-ant  in- 
deed, because  you  can  enjoy  the  sun>hiiu-  and 
flowers  and  the  feeling  of  outd(K)rs  while  you 
toast  your  feet  by  a  real  fire  within.  I'su- 
ally  these  glass  d(X)rs  are  maile  French 
fashion,  of  two  long  narrow  --ashe^,  rat  h  rwo 


...         ,  ,       ,,,,,,  .Mliro  &  LindrtwiK.  Arrhncct*. 

ranKr.l   for   .he   ITench   windows.     The  hou.e   a>   a   «h..lr   i,    full    ..f    «.KKC^...mN    anJ    ...   «ell--ua.cO    dc.l    m.,    be 
easily  applied  .o  small  house  desiRii.     1.  is  liHraied  a.  Whi.r  Plains.  New  \ork. 

'9i 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


panes  wide,  and  many  panes  deep.  The 
best  method  ot  curtaining  the  sash  is  to  shir 
a  soft  white  or  cream  stuff — muslin  or  net — 
on  small  brass  rods,  the  top  rcxl  being 
{jjaced  at  the  second  bar  from  the  top,  and 
the  lower  rod  beinp  placed  at  the  very  bot- 
tom of  the  glass  panes.  This  leaves  an 
open  square  of  four  panes  at  the  top  ot  the 
sash. 


Plan  }our  windows  for  sunshine  and  air, 
and  then  ret  use  to  have  a  wall-paper  or  a 
rug  that  will  not  stand  the  test  of  the  sun- 
sliine.  This  is  a  pretty  good  rule  for  the 
furnishings  of  your  house.  And  if  you  are 
willing  to  spend  your  money  for  qualitw — 
even  if  you  have  to  deny  yourself  certain 
things  you  like, — your  house  will  reflect  the 
wisdom  of  your  action. 


A  studio  near  Hartford,  Connecticut. 


196 


CHAl'TKH  XXIII 


BEFOHK    vol     m  V    vol  K    1  1  KM  IIKE 


H(^\y  mail)  women  rcalh  clcridc 
what  thf  turnituR'  of  their  houses 
will  be-? 
There  is  a  nice  theor\'  that  wiien  a  woman 
has  a  house  to  be  turnisheci  slii  has  a  neat 
little  list  ot  all  the  thinj^s  she  will  require 
in  that  house,  ami  all  she  needs  is  a  few 
days'  time  and  a  certain  amount  ot  mone\ 
and  an  obliging;  salesman,  and  Ik  r  hou^e  will 
be  furnished.  There  nia\  b<-  women  who 
have  actually  bouj^ht  the  furniture  ori;j;inally 
planned  for  their  houses,  but  I  haven't 
known  rheni. 

Certain!)  most  of  the  women  I  know  have 
had  this  f^rave  matter  decided  tor  them  In 
some  particularly  j^ood  piece  of  turnitiire 
that  has  come  to  them,  and  this  piece  ot 
furniture  ;_'raduall\  inHueni'es  the  equipment 
of  the  rest  of  the  house.  It  ma)  be  a  <;;rand- 
fathcr's  clock  of  mahogany,  or  an  old  ro.se- 
wood  table,  or  a  walnut  .sofa,  or  a  tjuaint  old 
oak  chest,  or  e\  <-n  a  Chinese  vase  or  a  French 
etching.      But  its  influriuc  is  inevitable. 

Houses  cannot  be  furnisheti  in  a  tew 
weeks,  or  a  few  months,  save  b)  experienceil 


decorators.  It  jou  plunjje  in  des[HTat<ly 
and  do  all  your  shopping  in  a  few  dajs,  as 
so  man)  bewildered  )oun;i  brides  ilo.  you 
will  want  to  be^in  eliminating'  )our  mistakes 
before  rh(  )tar  is  out.  H;Lsty  shopping:  is 
always  a  series  of  comi)roniises.  no  matter 
how  careful  1)  )()u  have  planned  it  Ix-tore- 
hand. 

\\  h)  are  we  so  afraid  of  our  houses  s«"rm- 
in^'  bare  and  empt)  "?  Why  aren't  wr  him- 
est  en()u;^h  to  bu)  tiling  as  we  actually  re- 
quire themV  \Vh\  lio  we  a|)oloj;i/e  tor  the 
kitchen  table  in  the  dinini;-riM)in,  when  the 
fine  old  chairs  e.\|)lain  the  situation V  .\ny 
one  with  an  ounce  of  imajcination  will  know 
we  are  waiting'  until  w«-  can  atfonl  the  pro|)rr 
table  for  those  chairs,  anil  wliy  shouKl  wc 
concern  ourselves  with  [H-ople  who  have  no 
imaf^ination'i' 

There  are  so  man\  ot  u^  \viu>  n.m)  ".mi 
simple  thin;,'s,  and  yet  we  conipronii-r  b\ 
buyinj;  thinjis  that  do  not  nir.isurc  up  ' 
standartis.  IWause  the  {greatest  number  of 
women  are  content  with  thin;r-  oi  hidrou*  tlr- 
si^'n,  wicked  color  ami  alximinablj  cheap  r.\- 


'97 


THE  HONEST  HOl'SE 

ecution.  the  rest  of  us,  who  reall}-  want  sini-  Fourth,  the  light-weight  furniture  that  is 

pie  and  durable  things,  sigh  and  compromise  constructed  ot   reeds,   rattan,   and   so   forth, 

because,  we  argue,  "Here  is  mj-  house  ready  that  comes  to  us  from  China,  the  Philippines, 

ami  waiting.     It  must  have  this  and  that  at  the  weavers  of  Europe  ami  our  own  willow- 

once,  because  other  women's  houses  have  this  craft  workmen. 

and  that.     I  'd  like  to  look  further,  but  I  Of  late  another  sort  of  furniture  has  been 

am  so  tired,  and,  after  all,  this  is  the  best  put  on   the  market  that   will   some  day  be 

thin"   I    have   seen  I"     Haven't   vou   made  useful  to  many  of  us.     This  is  the  cement 

this     compromise,     over     and     over"?     And  or    terra-cotta    furniture    made     from     old 

haven't  you  finally  thrown  away  half  your  Italian  models,   and  most  suitable  for  gar- 

hastily  purchased  furniture  in  sheer  disgust"?  tlens  and  hallways  of  stucco  houses,  but  we 

I  have!  need  not  concern  ourselves  with  this  furni- 

If  you  start  out  with  the  determination  to  ture  in  this  chapter, 
have  mahogany  furniture  onh',  or  oak,  or  You  can  associate  furniture  of  each  of  the 
walnut,  or  whatever  }ou  may  like,  }our  first  four  classes  pleasantly  in  one  room,  if 
house  will  be  absolutely  unobjectionable,  but  the  design  and  color  are  in  harmony.  For 
you  won't  have  vet}'  nuich  fun  with  it.  If,  instance,  jou  can  use  a  mahogany  table  and 
however,  you  have  a  few  pieces  of  furniture  chintz-covered  couch  and  willow  chairs  and 
that  you  love  too  much  to  give  up,  and  you  a  chest  of  drawers  of  painted  wood  in  one 
have  to  search  and  search  for  every  new  room,  or  you  can  use  oak  furniture,  tapestry- 
thing  vou  buy  so  that  it  will  be  friendly  covered  chairs,  a  black  lacquer  chest  and 
with  the  old  things,  your  house  will  be  a  Chinese  reed  chairs  together.  The  Oriental 
nuiih  plcasantcr  [ilace  to  live  in.  lacquer      furniture      and      the      Occidental 

The  furniture  that  most  of  us  buy  may  be  painted   furniture  are  not  friendly,  just  as 

divided  into  four  groups:  oak  and  mahogany  are  usually  unfriendly, 

First,   wooden   furniture  that   is  oiled   or  but  any  one  of  the  decorated  woods  may  be 

waxed  so  that  the  grain  and  color  of  the  combined  with  any  one  of  the  stained  and 

wood  is  its  own  decoration,  such  as  oak,  ma-  waxed  woods  if  the  selection  is  made  care- 

hogany,  walnut,  and  so  forth.  fully. 

Second,  wooden  furniture  that  is  covered  If  you  had  a  piece  of  black-and-gold  lac- 

with  paint  and  lacquer  or  gilt,  such  as  the  quer  furniture,   for  instance,  you  would  be 

quaint  Colonial   furniture  with  fiat  ground  careful  to  select  a  covering  for  your  uphol- 

colors   and   decorations   of   posies   and   gar-  stered  chairs  that  would  be  of  plain  color, 

lands,  and  the  lacquered  Chinese  furniture  in  or  of  a  design  in  keeping  with   the  design 

which  conventional   decorations  of  gold  are  employed  on  the  lacquer.     It  would  be  silly 

applied  to  a  ground  of  green,  red,  or  black  to  associate  chairs  decorated  with  primrose 

lacquer,   and  the  simple  models  painted  or  garlands    and    lacquered    furniture    covered 

enameled  in  one  tone.  with  fantastic  temples,  ships  and  Chinamen, 

Third,  the  furniture  that  is  covered  wholly  in  the  same  room.     And  }et  either  of  these 

or  in  part  with  tapestries,  leathers,  chintzes  chairs,  if  used  in  connection  with  oak  or  ma- 

and  the  many  less  expensive  fabrics.  hogany  furniture,  would  be  ver}'  pleasant. 

198 


BEFORE  YOU  BUY  YOUR  FURNITURE 


WilMin   K>rc,  Architect. 
This  view,  taken   in   Mrs.   (Joodnow's   house  at   Forest  Hills.   Long  Island,  shows  a  portion  of  the  livinR  and  din- 
ing rooms.     Note   the  use  of  hangings  to  give  color  to  the  walls. 


Fortunatel}-,  wc  arc  no  longer  forced  to 
buy  sets  ot  thiri'^s.  \\'e  buy  a  cliair  because 
it  is  comfortable  and  because  it  is  beautiful, 
but  we  do  nor  wish  to  repeat  the  chair.  We 
would  rather  have  a  second  chair  of  a  dif- 
ferent kind.  The  only  room  that  really  in- 
vites a  "set"  of  chairs  is  the  dinin;;-room, 
and  there  is  a  ^'reat  opporrunity  for  gaiety 
and  charm  in  this  erstwhile  formal  room  if 
you  po  about  its  furnishing  in  the  ri;_'ht  spirit. 

Ever  so  many  new  houses  are  built  with- 
out any  real  "dining-room."     If  the  family 


is  .small  and  their  life  i^  Mmi)le,  a  hufjr  liv- 
ing-room with  a  cormr  tor  dining  is  sensi- 
ble. In  my  own  hou>e  the  dining-  and 
living-rooms  are  practically  one,  .s<i  1  avoided 
all  the  ugly  "dining-roomy"  things,  anil  1 
keep  the  gla.ss  and  china  in  the  kitchen. 

We  have  to  be  careful  alxmt  mi.\ing  wtMxts 
that  de|)inil  on  their  grain  and  |K)Iish  for 
their  beauty,  but  there  are  so  many  lovrly 
things  in  willow  and  rattan,  in  chinty  and 
fapestrv  coverings,  that  wr  may  asMviatr 
with  our  fine  jwlished  wcxxls  and  gel  ranark- 


199 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


able  ctfecti;.  There  is  something  so  ver)- 
drear\-  about  a  proper  room,  with  a  set  of 
furniture  carefully  matched,  and  sets  of  pic- 
tures and  vases  and  books — not  an  accidental 
anywhere  I 

The  secret  of  the  association  of  furniture 
is:  Harmon}-  of  colt)r  aiui  line  ami  titsi^n. 
Oak  and  mahogany  are  both  beautiful  woods 
in  themselves,  and  if  darkened  b\-  aj^e  and 
usage  they  may  be  used  together,  but  it  the 
oak  is  very  brown  and  the  mahogany  very 
red,  each  cheapens  the  other.  The  oak 
seems  coarse  and  colorless,  and  the  mahog- 
any seems  impossibly  red  and  shiny. 

If  your  living-r(X)m  is  paneled  or  wains- 
coted in  oak,  and  you  have  a  particularly- 
good  Stuart  chair  \\-ith  turned  legs  and  cane 
inset  to  build  on,  \ovi  need  not  wait  until 
you  can  bu}-  other  turniture  of  the  same  pe- 
riod as  the  chair.  I  know  a  very  successful 
living-room  furnished  with  objects  of  wideh- 
different  types.  There  is  an  oak  Windsor 
chair  of  the  old  kitchen  t}pe,  a  reproduction 
of  a  Cromwell ian  chair  with  oak  frame  and 
leather  seat  and  back,  a  j)erfectly  new  up- 
right piano  of  absolutely  simple  lines,  a 
small  table  of  unpretentious  design,  and  a 
graceful  Stuart  chair,  all  in  perfect  accord 
with  the  spirit  of  the  oak  paneling.  One 
beauty  of  such  simplicity  is  that  a  fine  tap- 
estry-covered chair  might  be  introduced  into 
this  room,  and  the  piano  and  kitchen  chair 
would  still  be  at  home. 

This  room  might  have  been  spoiled  in  a 
dozen  different  ways.  If  the  piano  had 
been  "ornamented"  a  bit  with  geometric  de- 
vices, if  a  squashy  leather  chair  of  the  tufted 
variety  had  been  used  instead  of  the  simple 
oak-and-leather  one.  if  a  heavy  "Mission" 
rocker  had  been  used  instead  of  the  Wind- 
sor chair,  if  one  of  those  elaboratelv  carved 


chairs  miscalled  "Early  English"  by  the  deal- 
ers had  been  used  instead  of  the  Stuart  chair, 
the  whole  room  would  have  been  thrown  out 
of  key. 

You  must  consider  not  only  the  harmony 
of  line  and  color  and  design,  but  also  har- 
mon}  of  mass,  of  proportion,  when  you  mix 
furniture  of  different  types. 

It  is  not  possible  to  tell  you  just  the  sort 
of  furniture  to  bu)- :  that  is  something  every 
woman  must  decide  for  herself. 

I  am  not  one  of  those  painstakingly  care- 
ful people  who  would  have  you  throw  away 
good  furniture  just  to  keep  each  room  "in 
period."  I  think  very  few  of  us  need  con- 
cern ourselves  with  the  tr}ing  task  of  work- 
ing out  period  rooms.  Most  rooms  grow  of 
themselves,  if  aou  give  them  half  a  chance. 
Even  if  they  were  begun  in  the  wrong  spirit, 
they  may  be  made  beautiful  if  aou  will  weed 
out  the  ugly,  mistaken  things  and  give  the 
good  things  a  chance  to  assert  their  worth. 

A  woman  I  know  started  out,  thinking  she 
wanted  to  furnish  a  house  with  "Mission" 
furniture.  Fortunately,  she  started  in  a  very 
small  way — in  a  three-room  apartment — so 
her  purchases  were  restricted.  She  bought 
a  library  table,  a  bookcase  and  several  heavy 
oak  chairs  for  the  combined  living-room  and 
dining-room.  In  less  than  six  months  after 
this  ambitious  little  home  had  begun,  an  old 
lady  died  and  left  my  friend  her  beloved 
secretar}%  one  of  those  dignified  old  desks 
with  book  shelves  above,  with  doors  of 
leaded  diamond  panes.  The  old  secretary 
was  so  big  it  did  not  really  belong,  after  it 
arrived  at  the  flat,  and  it  had  to  be  done 
over,  but  it  was  so  very  much  nicer  than 
ever}-thing  else  that  the  rest  of  the  furniture 
was  pulled  around  to  make  room  for  it. 

It  was  n't  long  before  the  clumsy  chairs 


200 


BEFORE  YOU  BUY  YOUK  FUKMTUKE 


were  sold  to  a  second-hand  dealer,  and  a 
willow  chair  and  a  rush-bottom  one  and  a 
chint'/.  covered  one  were  substituted,  because 
they  seemed  more  at  home  with  the  old  sec- 
retary. The  heavy  round  table  soon  ^ave 
place  to  a  graceful  old  mahogany  table  with 
drop  leaves.  The  bookcase  was  abolished, 
anil  plain  white  shelves  were  built  in.  This 
home  grew  of  itself  from  the  moment  the 
secretary  entered  it. 

I  am  not  condemning  Mission  furniture! 
Certainly  the  plain  oak  models  that  have 
come  to  us  along  with  the  craze  for  the 
bungalow  are  very  much  better  than  the  fur- 
niture we  've  suffered  for  so  many  years — 
the  Victorian  walnut,  the  awful  golden  oak. 


the  imitation  mahogany  that  is  still  huouing 
the  cheajjer  shops.  Mission  furniture  is 
very  good  in  its  [)lace,  but  its  place  is  neccs- 
saril)  an  uncrowded,  spacious  rtxjin.  Cer- 
tainly massive  oak  chairs  and  tables,  no  mat- 
ter how  well  made,  have  no  pla"-  ■"  -'"  'U 
city  rooms. 

Nor  is  this  chapter  a  brief  for  old  lumi- 
ture.  We  sjjeak  in  the  temis  of  old  furni- 
ture because  the  best  furniture  offered  us  is 
made  from  the  old  models.  There  are  new 
men  who  are  making  beautiful  things,  both 
in  America  and  abroad,  but  the  prices  arc 
prohibitive.  So  we  will  be  wise  to  study  the 
various  styles  and  sciiools  of  furniture  that 
are  being  reproduced  by  intelligent  manu- 


\Vil»on  Fvr*    ArrVim. 
A  strongly  fiRured   wall   paper  is  possible  if   i.s  color,  be  harmoniou.^     Bu,  i.   ,.  "*"'  "";*'^'   '"   "' 
than  a  simple  flat  tone  paper,  because  the  furninire  and   hanRinRs   must   be  cho^n   especially   to  mjtcn   ii- 
This  room   is   in    Mrs.   Goodnow's  house   at    Forest    Hills,    lone    Island. 

201 


THE  HOXKST  HOUSE 


facturcrs,  and  plan  our  rooms  according;  to 
what  we  most  like,  what  we  most  need,  and 
what  we  can  actually  afford.  In  the  bibliog- 
raphy at  tlic  (lul  of  this  book  you  will  find 
a  list  of  books  on  furniture,  books  that  will 
give  you  the  arguments  pro  and  con,  the 
earmarks,  the  secrets  of  those  passionate  ad- 
venturers who  spend  their  lives  in  collect- 
ing old  furniture.  Certainly  it  seems  to  me 
little  short  of  foolhardiness  for  a  woman  to 
plunge  into  a  furniture  shop  until  she  has 
read  much,  and  thought  more  of  her  require- 


ments.    1   have  n't   laid  stress  on   it, — but 
mistakes  are  costly. 

I  should  like  to  give  a  neat  lot  of  rules, 
a  list  that  might  be  followed  as  casually  as 
your  grocery  list,  but  it  can't  be  done.  I 
can  onl)-  beg  vou  to  accept  my  theory,  that 
nothing  is  worth  buying  which  does  not  of- 
fer you  both  pleasure  and  service.  Pleasure 
should  mean  Comfort  and  Beauty,  and  Serv- 
ice means  Economy  and  Utility.  Put  these 
principles  in  your  pocket  and  go  a-shopping, 
but  go  slowly — go  slowly  I 


Charles  Barton   Keen,  Architect. 
Note   the   unusual    arrangement  of   beams  in   this   pergola   porch. 


202 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
A  LIST  OF  USEFl'L  BOOKS 


AND  so  we  come  to  the  end.  A  sur- 
vey of  the  subject  of  home  build- 
in<^  such  as  is  made  in  the  fore- 
going chapters  would  lie  incomplete, 
however,  it  it  tlid  not  include  some  suj^ges- 
tions  for  the  turther  study  of  the  subject. 


The  literature  given  over  to  the  study  and 


there  has  been  very  little  commendable  archi- 
tecture in  this  country  to  write  about.  The 
older  Colonial  or  Georgian  buildings  have  re- 
ceived much  deserved  attention,  though  the 
number  of  books  at  moderate  prices  is  sur- 
prisingly small. 

Our  modern  small-house  architecture  at  its 
representation  of  architecture  is  extremely  best  is  excellent;  at  its  worst  it  is  unb«-!irv- 
varied  and  in  many  respects  satisf actor}-,  ably  bail, — and  there  is  to-day  much  more 
Architectural  histories  and  treatises  are  bad  architecture  than  gcHwI.  Naturally 
abundant.  If  you  wish  to  study  Greek  or  enough,  as  a  reHection  of  this  fact,  there  is  a 
Roman  or  Italian  architecture,  there  are  paucity  of  books  which  present  onl\  the  best 
nian^  competent  books  which  will  give  you  examples  of  moilem  small-luuise  design. 
plenty  of  information  anil  inspiration.  For  While  books  dealing  adecjuately  with  the 
the  greater  part  this  literature  is  (xrcupied  better  asjiects  of  domestic  architecture  are 
with  monumental  architecture: — the  archi-  wanting,  there  is,  unfortunately,  no  lack  ot 
tecture  of  temples,  palaces  and  jniblic  build-  books  which  advertise  its  worst  as|>ccts.  Es- 
ings  generally.  Domestic  architecture  of  pecially  is  this  true  of  that  tyix-  of  cinnmer- 
the  formal  and  pretentious  type  is  well  rciirc-  cial  catalogue  of  hou>e  plans  ivsueil  by 
sented,  but,  excepting  the  b(H)ks  devoted  to  certain  "architectural  hmis"  lu^ually  under 
English  work,  there  is  a  very  slight  literature  such  alhiring  titles  as  "One  Hundred  HtMisr 
dealing  with  the  more  modest  types  of  dwell-  Plans  for  One  I")<»llar."  They  are  tilleil  tor 
in.r.  the  most  part  with  utterly  reprehensible  ilc- 

Of  b(M)ks  treating  of  the  American  small  sigms.  Tlie  untraineil  person  naturally 
house  especially  there  are  very  few  worthy  of  enough  cannot  t«ll  the  ilitferemr  brtwern  a 
commendation.     Of  course  one  nuist  remem-     bit  of  glass  and  a  diamond,  ami  while  m.M 

ber  that  from  the  period  of  the  later  Georgian     of  us   know   that   there   is  a  d  •■ ••  • 

architecture  until  comparatively  recent  times,     mighf  b.-  liard   put   to  it  to  di 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


twecn  them  unii(T  all  conditions.  The  case 
is,  in  its  essence,  not  diti'erent  in  tlic  matter 
a  ot  judging  good  and  bad  architecture.  Real- 
izing this,  certain  publishing  concerns,  by 
issuing  books  ot  Iiouse  designs  devoid  ot  any 
artistic  merit,  have,  by  claiming  for  these 
designs  all  the  architectural  virtues,  system- 
atically debauched  the  taste  ot  the  public. 

The  attempt  here  made  is  to  suggest  only 
such  books  as  arc  regarded  as  meritorious  by 
competent  architects  and  so  far  as  possible  to 
name  books  the  prices  of  which  are  moderate. 

The  Georgian  Period,  edited  by  Professor  Wm. 


rente  Weaver,  $2.50.  (Scribner's,  1913). 
These  two  books,  very  fully  illustrated  by 
photographs  and  floor  plans,  present  the  best 
modern  work  of  the  English  architects  in  the 
field  of  small  house  architecture.  The  photo- 
graphs are  admirably  chosen  and  the  designs 
in  general  are  worthy  inspiration  for  Ameri- 
can home  builders.  Naturally  some  allow- 
ance must  be  made  for  the  English  point  of 
view,  particularly  on  matters  of  planning. 
The  Hai.e  Timber  House,  by  Allan  W.  Jackson, 

$2.00.      (McBride,  Nast  &  Co.). 
Devoted  entirely   to  the  consideration  of  half 
timber  houses,  this  book  sets  forth  the  advan- 
tages of  this  type  of  construction.     The  illus- 
trations are  well  chosen. 


K.   Ware,   Twelve   parts,  $6o.oo.     (Ameri-      Bungalows,  by  H.  H.  Saylor,  $2.00.      (  McBride, 


Nast  &  Co.). 
One  of  the  few  commendable  books  on  bunga- 
lows.    The    illustrations    are    excellent   and    a 
great  variety  of  bungalow  designs  are  given. 
Successful  Houses  and  How  to  Build  Them, 
by  C.  E.  White,  Jr.,  $2.00.     (Macmillan). 
of   100  representative  plates  called  "the  stu-      The   Country  House,  by  C.  H.   Hooper,  $1.90. 


can  Architect,  N.  Y.). 
This  is  an  extremely  exhaustive  survey  of 
the  whole  Colonial  period  and  it  presents  a 
large  collection  of  photographs  and  measured 
drawings  together  with  an  explanatory  text. 
There    is   also   an    abridged   edition   consisting 


DENTS   edition"   which   sells   for  $1^.00. 
Colonial  Architecture   for   Those   About  to 
Build.     By  H.  C.  Wise  and  H.  F.  Beidle- 
man,   $^00.     (  Lippincott,    1913). 
This  book  devotes   itself  more  particularly  to 
Colonial   architecture   in   and   about   Philadel- 
phia.    The  illustrations,  of  excellent  quality, 
are   very  numerous   and   show   the  best   work 
of  the  period.     The  text  is  at  once  informing 
and  agreeable  to  read. 
The    Dutch   Colonial   House,   by   Aymar    Em- 
bury, $2.00.     (McBride,   Nast  &   Co.). 
Devoted   almoiy:  entirely  to  the   gambrcl   roof 
type  of  house,  this  book  shows  in   an  enter- 
taining manner  the  possibilities  of  the  Dutch 
Colonial    house.     The   illustrations,   which   in- 
clude   floor    plans,    are    numerous,    and    good. 
Several   modern   adaptations   of  this   type  of 
house  are  shown. 
Small   Country   Houses  of   To-day,   edited   by 
Lawrence       Weaver,       $5.00.     (Scribner's, 
1913). 
The  Country  Life  Book  of  Cottages,  bv  Law- 


( Douhleday,  Page  1.^  Co.). 
Both  the  above  books  deal  very  fully  and  com- 
petently with  the  usual  practical  consideration 
of  house  construction  ineludins  drainage, 
plumbing,  heating,  lighting  and  equipment. 
Of  them,  Mr.  White's  book  is  the  better  since 
its  choice  of  examples  is  far  more  discriminat- 
ing than  that  shown  in  Mr.  Hooper's  book. 
The  latter  book  should  be  consulted  therefore 
for  practical  suggestions  ;  the  artistic  merit  of 
the  houses  illustrated  is  frequently  question- 
able. 
The  American  \'ignola,  edited  by  Professor  Wm. 
R.  Ware,  2  parts,  $2.90  for  each  part. 
$5.00.  (International  Textbook  Co.  Scran- 
ton,  1910). 
For  those  who  wish  to  understand  the  signifi- 
cance of  classic  architecture, — of  columns  and 
arches  and  all  the  motifs  used  in  classic  archi- 
tecture, there  is  no  book  which  will  repay  study 
so  well  as  Mgnola.  There  are  many  editions 
of  ^'ignola,  but  Professor  Ware's  is  for  gen- 
eral purposes  perhaps  the  best. 


204 


A  LIST  OF  USEFUL  BOOKS 


Details  of  Old  New  England  Houses,  by  Lois 

L.    Howe    and    Constance    Fuller,    $10.00. 

(Architectural  Book  Publishing  Co.). 
An  excellent  book  consisting  of  titty  plates  giv- 
ing measured  drawings  and  details  of  Colonial 
work,  including  porches,  door  ways,  mantels, 
and  so  forth.  If  one  wishes  to  know  just  why 
Colonial  houses  are  charming  he  must  study 
their  detail. 
Building  Details,  by  Frank  M.  Snyder,  1 1  parts, 

$3.00    for    each    part.     (Published    by    the 

author.  New  York). 
This  collection  although  it  includes  details  of 
many  buildings  other  than  dwelling  houses, 
contains  a  good  number  of  drawings  showing 
the  details  of  the  very  best  modern  house  de- 
sign. The  details  are  drawn  with  great  fidel- 
ity. The  parts  may  be  purchased  separately. 
Colonial    Homes    and   their    Furnishings,    by 

Mary  H.  Xorthend,  $5.00.     (Little,  Brown 

&  Co.). 
This  book  gives  many  illustrations,  especially 
of   New   England   Colonial    Homes,  and   lays 
special  emphasis  on  the  treatment  of  the  inte- 
riors. 
The  House  in  Good  Taste,  by  Elsie  de  Wolfe, 

$2.50.  (The  Century  Co.). 
Unique  in  its  way,  this  book  deals  with  in- 
terior designs  which  have  been  all  executed  by 
the  author.  Its  field  lies  somewhat  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  modest  small  house  but  it  will 
be  found  full  of  useful  suggestions.  The 
book  is  interestingly  written  and  the  illustra- 
tions are  admirable. 


Adventures   in    Ho.me-Making,   by   Hoi,r,i    anu 
Elizabeth    Shatkleton,   $1.75.      (John    lane 
Co.). 
The  stimulation  which  the  reader  dcrnr,  ii..ni   " 
this  book  is  largely  due  to  the  very  j)ersonal 
quality  infused  in  the  text.     Its  authors  show 
how  they  met  various  problems  which  arose  in 
the    process   of   altering   old   .American    homes 
into  modern  and  more  livable  houses. 
CJardens  for  Small  Country  Housis,  by  Ger- 
trude Jekyll  and  I^wrence  Weaver,  $5.00. 
(Scribner's ). 
Although   this   is   a   book   devoted   to   English 
Gardens  from  an   English  jioint  of  view,  its 
suggestions  are   for  the   most   part  applicable 
to   our   own    garden    problems.     Its    readable 
text  is  sup|)lemented  by  a  quantity  of  photo- 
graphs and  plans.     It   deals  with   garden  de- 
sign as  a  whole,  including  garden  at' '"••-■  "m" 
and  planting. 
The  Practical  Book  of  CJarden  .\RciiiTKCTtiii, 
by     Phoebe     Westcott     Humphrey"-.     »-'-. 
(  Lijjpincott ). 
This  b(H)k  deals  in  its  way  with  .\mrriiaii  j;4f- 
dens  as  the  foregoing  btH>k  does  with  English. 
It  is  devoted  largely  to  the  architectural  treat- 
ment of  gardens, — their  pergolas,  arbors,  irate- 
ways  and  garden  houses.     The  text   is  excel- 
lent.    The  illustrations,  though  good,  are  un- 
fortunately unequal  to  the  text. 
The  Lure  of  the  Garden,  by  Hildegardc  Haw- 
thorne, $4.00.     (The  Century  Co. ». 
A  most  interesting  book  on  the   romantic  as- 
pects of  gardening. 


Xo  rcjMitable  architect  so  sells  his  desipis 
in  the  open  market.  In  desipninfj  a  house 
he  tries  to  express  in  it  some  original  character 
and  special  interest.  His  iileal.  unlike  that 
of  the  publishers  of  these  cheap  b(M)ks,  is  not 
to  sell  the  same  design  to  a  thousand  clients. 

Of  course  the  foregoing  list  is  only  sugges- 
tive; there  ar<-  many  other  valuable  books 
which  deal  with  tlie  various  aspects  of  home 
building.     The  books  in  this  list,  neverthe- 


less, arc  fair!)  representative  of  the  b<^t.  and 
no  list,  however  long,  coulil  Ix-  exiiaustivc. 

.\fter  all,  the  value  oi  b<H>k>  lies  n«»rr  in 
their  power  to  stimulate  our  interest  and  en- 
thusiasm than  to  in>truct  us.  When  one 
comes  to  examine  it,  every  problem  is  diffrr- 
ent  from  th<-  next.     If  your  rX|KTirnir  is  in 

the  least  like  mine,  you  n>ay  searcli  •'■' '1 

books  for  the  sohition  of  a  particular  , 

— anil  \  et  vou  rarely  find  just  the  iiaswcr  that 


20? 


THE  HONEST  HOUSE 


)ou  are  looking  for.  In  the  field  of  artistic 
endea\()r,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  co()y 
anythin;:;  outright  without  sacrificing  some 
important  consideration  imposed  by  aouf 
problem.  Nearly  always  the  practical  con- 
ditions of  your  problem  differ  from  those  of 
the  examples  shown  in  the  books.  Conse- 
quent!} you  are  driven  back  upon  your  own 
resources  anil  initiative.  This  tacr  brings 
large  com[)ensarions. 

What  we  should  all  try  to  do  is  to  adapt, — 
not  to  copy.  That  which  the  enlightened 
person  seeks  is  inspiration,  not  simply   in- 


formation. The  matter  of  designing,  build- 
ing, and  turnishing  a  home  comes  in  the  end 
to  a  question  of  self-expression;  and  the  op- 
portunities tor  this  expression  are  infinitely 
varied.  If  we  are  servile  in  our  attitude,  if 
we  are  easily  satisfied,  if  our  critical  sense 
is  wanting,  and  our  enthusiasm  impoverished, 
the  houses  we  design  and  furnish  will  be 
weak  ami  without  character.  We  build  our- 
sehes  into  our  houses.  Remember  that  the 
world  we  live  in  is  a  world  of  ideas.  Though 
we  see  it  dimly,  a  worthy  ideal  is  always  be- 
fore us  in  all  our  undertakings. 


THE    END 


206 


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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 

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